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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Russia's Top Diplomat In Pakistan To Discuss Afghan Peace Process RFE/RL Gandhara 06 Apr 2021 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Pakistan on April 6 for a two-day trip expected to focus on efforts to bring peace to neighboring Afghanistan.
• Russia's Lavrov in Pakistan to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Afghan Peace VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began a two-day official visit Tuesday to Pakistan amid growing diplomatic, economic, and military ties between the two countries.
• National Guard tops 6 million people vaccinated Army News 09 Apr 2021 -- As the National Guard surpassed 6 million COVID-19 vaccinations administered to the public this week, Soldiers and Airmen reflected on their contributions to the pandemic fight and the partnerships formed.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 06 Apr 2021
• SETAF-AF mobility division delivers equipment to support operations in Niger AFRICOM 06 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa coordinated for the ground movement of 16 Armored Personnel Carriers to the Niger military in March 2021.
• Combined arms mindset being adopted by Army modernization teams Army News 06 Apr 2021 -- After Project Convergence started as an idea, the series of exercises first held last year are now a mature experimentation path for the Army's modernization efforts, such as long-range precision fires, an Army Futures Command leader said last month.
• U.S. Calling on Russia to Lower Tensions With Ukraine, DOD Official Says DoD News 06 Apr 2021 -- The United States is calling on Russia to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and not provoke or increase tensions, said the Pentagon press secretary.
• AFRICOM delegation attends presidential inauguration in Niger AFRICOM 06 Apr 2021 -- Ambassador Andrew Young, deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement traveled to Niger to attend the presidential inauguration of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, April 2. U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Eric P. Whitaker led the delegation, which included representatives from diplomacy, defense, and development.
• Pentagon Press Secretary Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 06 Apr 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
• 15th MEU concludes support to Operation Inherent Resolve USMC News 06 Apr 2021 -- 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked on the Makin Island Amphibious Group, concluded operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, March 18.
• US military claims to be monitoring Russian activities in Arctic Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- The Pentagon says it is closely monitoring Russian activities and infrastructure build-ups in the Arctic, indicating that the United States is anxious about increasing Russian presence in the region.
• U.S. Military Says It's Watching Russia's Arctic Moves 'Very Closely' RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- The Pentagon says it is watching Russia's military activities in the Arctic "very closely" as signs mount of Moscow's ongoing efforts to boost its presence in and around its northernmost territories.
• Coast Guard, Navy Begin High Seas Oceania Maritime Security Initiative Patrol US Navy 06 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy began their joint mission in the Western and Central Pacific under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) to reduce and eliminate illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing, combat transnational crimes, and enhance regional security, April 5.
• U.S. and Tunisian Divers Complete First Bilateral Dive Engagement in 10 years US Navy 06 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Navy Divers assigned to Construction Dive Detachment Charlie (CDD/C), a detachment of Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1, and the Tunisian Navy Specialized Diver Regiment (RPS) conducted the first bilateral dive engagement between the Tunisian and U.S. Navy in nearly a decade.
• Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Returns to South China Sea US Navy 06 Apr 2021 -- The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) entered the South China Sea on April 4 to conduct routine operations.
• Multinational Naval Forces Conduct Exercise La Perouse US Navy 06 Apr 2021 -- USS Somerset (LPD 25) joins units from the Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to participate in the third iteration of La Perouse, April 5, 2021.
• US Hypersonic Missile 'Did Not Launch' Due to Issue During Test, Air Force Says Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- A US hypersonic weapon failed to launch due to an issue that occurred during its first booster vehicle flight test on 5 April, the Air Force said on Tuesday.
• US Reportedly Scraps 'Open Skies' Planes Once Used to Monitor Russia Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- The Trump administration withdrew from the 1992 Open Skies Treaty in November. Trump's successor Joe Biden criticised the Republican over the decision but has yet to take any steps to get the US back into the agreement. Russia announced plans to withdraw from the accord in January, but has hinted that it might stay in if the US returns.
• US Won't Commit to NATO Membership for Ukraine VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- The United States reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity Tuesday but stopped short of publicly backing Kyiv's call for a quicker path to membership in NATO.
• PLA carrier, warplanes surround Taiwan in drills, in show of capability to cut off foreign intervention Global Times 06 Apr 2021 -- A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft carrier task group was training in the east of Taiwan island as at least 10 PLA warplanes appeared in the west of the island in a routine exercise on Monday, indicating that the island is surrounded from the east with an aircraft carrier task group and by land-based PLA forces on the west.
• China's aircraft carrier formation conducts training in waters around Taiwan: Navy Spokesperson PLA Daily 06 Apr 2021 -- Recently the Liaoning aircraft carrier formation conducted the training exercise in waters around Taiwan, said the Chinese PLA Navy Spokesperson Senior Captain Gao Xiucheng in a written statement on April 5.
• China's navy says ongoing drills near Taiwan to become regular Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- China says the sailing of a Chinese carrier group near self-ruled Taiwan is part of naval drills that will become regular.
• Iran-Pakistan joint naval drill ends in Persian gulf, Oman Sea IRNA 06 Apr 2021 -- The joint naval exercise between the two Iranian and Pakistani Navies ended with the presence of the two countries' navy carriers and various maritime scenarios in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
• Iran, Pakistan navies hold combined naval exercise in Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman ISNA 06 Apr 2021 -- The Pakistan carrier group departs Bandar Abbas for a designated area on Tuesday to conduct a combined naval exercise in the Persian Gulf's water and the Sea of Oman.
• Iran, Pakistan naval forces hold joint maritime exercise in Persian Gulf waters Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Iranian naval forces and a visiting flotilla of warships from the Pakistan Navy have staged joint exercises in the Persian Gulf, which extended to the Strait of Hormuz and the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
• Taiwan's twin-seat F-5Fs resume flights after being grounded CNA 06 Apr 2021 -- Several F-5F fighter jets at the Taitung Air Base took to the skies Tuesday for test flights after the Air Force completed a major checkup of its fleet following a deadly F-5E crash on March 22 that led to the grounding of all F-5s.
• Venezuela sets up military unit on volatile border with Colombia Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Venezuela has set up a special military unit on its border with Colombia, following incursions by armed Colombian groups that have caused Venezuelan casualties.
• Indonesian Defense Chief to Attend Friday 'Roll Out' of South Korean F-35 Competitor KF-X Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- Indonesia has pushed to buy stealthy F-35 fighters from the US, which has so far only offered fourth-generation jets. However, Jakarta has proven less-than-picky about who it buys aircraft from, and its joint project with South Korea to build their own F-35 alternative could soon come to fruition.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Panamanian Foreign Minister Mouynes US Dept. of State 06 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Colombian President Duque US Dept. of State 06 Apr 2021
• Department Press Briefing – April 6, 2021 US Dept. of State 06 Apr 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, April 6, 2021 The White House 06 Apr 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 6, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 6 April 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 06 Apr 2021
• Philippines: Duterte Seeks Peaceful Solution to South China Sea Dispute Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- The Philippines will push to resolve differences with Beijing peacefully, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, after Manila's foreign office threatened to file diplomatic protests for each day that Chinese ships remain moored at a disputed reef in the South China Sea.
• Philippines' attempt to use invalid, illegal arbitral ruling to deny China's rights 'unacceptable': FM Global Times 06 Apr 2021 -- Chinese fishing boats taking shelter at China's Niu'e Jiao in the South China Sea from bad weather is "reasonable and legal," and attempts from the Philippines to deny China's legitimate rights and sovereignty in the water using an illegal and invalid arbitral ruling is "unacceptable," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
• Yemeni official demands full implementation of prisoner swap ahead of Ramadan Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- A high-ranking member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council has called for the full implementation of a prisoner exchange agreement between the Ansarullah movement and a Saudi-backed former regime ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
• Islamic State Kidnaps 19 People in Central Syria VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) terror group kidnapped at least 19 people, mostly civilians, near a town in central Syria, state media and a monitor group said.
• Turkish warplanes launch new air raids on Iraqi Kurdistan Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Turkish F-16 fighter jets have conducted new airstrikes on Duhok Province in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, defying Baghdad's numerous protests at such violations of the Arab country's sovereignty.
• Western Public Support For Ukraine Mounts Amid Russian Buildup Near Border RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- Western expressions of support for Ukraine are growing amid an uptick in violence and an increased Russian troop presence across the border that have heightened concerns of a widening conflict.
• UK pledges to support Kiev in face of 'destabilizing' Russian actions Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- In a telephone call with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has affirmed his government's "unwavering support" for "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" in the face of alleged Russian military movements in the Crimea and on the Russia-Ukrainian border.
• Russia holds emergency talks with US over Ukraine's Donbass region Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Russian and US diplomats have held unscheduled bilateral talks to discuss ways of averting any potential clashes in eastern Ukraine, where a military buildup has occurred.
• Nigeria launches massive manhunt after brazen prison attack Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Security forces in Nigeria have launched a massive manhunt after a series of coordinated attacks by heavily-armed assailants that resulted in the escape of more than 1,800 inmates from a prison in the country's troubled southeast.
• UPC Armed Group Says Leaving Anti-Government Rebel Coalition in CAR - Group's Head Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- The Unity for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), an armed group active in the east of the Central African Republic (CAR), says it is quitting the rebel coalition that has accused CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera of election fraud.
• 'Political, security, human rights and humanitarian challenges' plague Mali UN News 06 Apr 2021 -- With a deteriorating security situation in central and northern Mali, the UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday that 'blue helmets', the Malian Defence and Security Forces, continue to suffer repeated attacks and significant losses, while some large towns "live under constant threat from armed groups".
• Tribal Clashes Kill More Than 50 in Sudan's West Darfur State VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Authorities in Sudan say at least 50 people are dead and more than 100 others injured after three days of clashes between ethnic groups in West Darfur. Sudan's military has vowed to restore peace to the region.
• Sudan: Fighting in West Darfur triggers rising death toll UN News 06 Apr 2021 -- Days of tribal clashes in Sudan's West Darfur have left scores dead and thousands fleeing their homes, the UN envoy to the country said on Tuesday.
• Over 10,000 Flee Mozambique Town After Jihadist Attacks VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- The United Nations reports more than 11,000 people have fled the coastal town of Palma in northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province since jihadist insurgents attacked the town nearly two weeks ago.
• Mozambique's Government Regains Control of Key Coastal Town VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Mozambique's government said it is reclaiming territory from Islamic State-affiliated insurgents that besieged the key northern coastal town of Palma, with some of the thousands of civilians who fled now going back to take stock of their losses.

News Reports

• Secretary Mayorkas's Statement on FY22 Discretionary Funding Request DHS 09 Apr 2021 -- The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President's priorities for fiscal year 2022 discretionary spending. The budget invests in key DHS missions, including repairing a broken immigration system, better managing the border with advanced technology, protecting civil rights, and bolstering cyber defenses and resilience. The discretionary request also includes investments to address the root causes of domestic terrorism, combat climate change, and increase funding for research and development.
• Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Attempting to Purchase Chemical Weapon on the Dark Web US Dept. of Justice 06 Apr 2021 -- A Missouri man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole today for attempting to purchase a chemical weapon, capable of killing hundreds of people, on the dark web with Bitcoin.
• Man Sentenced to 162 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 09 Apr 2021 -- An Illinois man was sentenced today to 162 months, the equivalent of 13 ½ years, in prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.
• Jordan bans media coverage of royal dispute Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Jordan's prosecutor general has banned the publication of any information related to a coup attempt involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II, Prince Hamzah.
• Jordan's Prince Hamzah pledges allegiance to King Abdullah II Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Prince Hamzah, the half-brother of Jordan's King Abdullah II who is accused of plotting to oust the monarch, has apparently pledged allegiance to the king after mediation by the royal family.
• Jordan Bans Media Coverage of King Abdullah's Half-Brother VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Jordan has banned media from publishing any content about the half-brother of King Abdullah after the military placed him under house arrest for allegedly planning to destabilize the country.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, New Delhi, April 6, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2021
• Head Of Russian Doctors' Alliance Detained While Seeking To Examine Ailing Navalny RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- Police have detained the head of the Russian Alliance of Doctors outside a prison after she attempted to seek permission to examine jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny after he was moved to a sick ward with a severe cough and temperature amid reports of a possible tuberculosis outbreak in the facility.
• Report: Jailed Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Hospitalized VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny has been moved to a prison hospital and tested for the coronavirus, Russian media reported. His hospitalization came Monday, just hours after he released a statement on social media in which he alleged a tuberculosis outbreak in the prison and complained of a heavy cough and high fever.
• Russia's Lavrov in Pakistan to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Afghan Peace VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began a two-day official visit Tuesday to Pakistan amid growing diplomatic, economic, and military ties between the two countries.
• Russia Fines TikTok In Latest Challenge To Global Social Media Over Protests RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- A Russian court has ordered a fine against the popular video-sharing application TikTok in the country's latest major dispute with a global social platform over content allegedly related to political protests.
• Putin signs law allowing him to run for 2 more terms People's Daily 06 Apr 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a bill into law enabling the incumbent head of state to run for two more terms starting 2024.
• Chinese Overfishing in the South Pacific Devastates Some Islands' Livelihoods Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- Chinese fishing boats' illegal overfishing in the South Pacific has been devastating some island economies.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 6, 2021 PRC MofA 06 Apr 2021
• 'Letters of Hope' for Uyghurs Urge Rights Czar Bachelet to Break UN 'Silence' on Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- A U.S.-based NGO has sent a collection of letters to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, urging her to speak out against abuses in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) increasingly recognized as part of a policy of genocide against Uyghurs.
• China Launches Compulsory Film Screenings to Mark Party Centenary Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is ordering the screening and enforced viewing of revolutionary and propaganda movies in theaters around the country ahead of its centenary celebrations on July 1.
• Fire at Construction Site in North Korean Capital Kills 20 Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- At least 20 North Korean construction workers died last month when an electrical fire tore through their lodging on their Pyongyang jobsite as they slept, RFA has learned.
• Statement of Director of Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children of DPRK KCNA 06 Apr 2021 -- The director of the Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children under the Academy of Medical Science of the DPRK Ministry of Public Health released the following statement on Tuesday:
• Europeans Press for Progress on US-Iran Nuclear Talks VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- European leaders hope the start Tuesday of indirect talks in Vienna between the United States and Iran about reviving an international deal to limit Tehran's nuclear capabilities, will realign Washington and European policy toward the Islamic Republic.
• Details, Venues Emerge for Talks to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- The United States and Iran are due to begin indirect talks Tuesday in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 agreement that restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
• Araghchi: Iran not interested in step-by-step revival of JCPOA IRNA 06 Apr 2021 -- Head of the Iranian delegation to the 18th Regular Joint Session of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Seyyed Abbas Araghchi stressed in Vienna on Tuesday that Iran is not interested in step-by-step revival of the nuclear deal at all.
• FM spokesman: America must terminate entire sanctions IRNA 06 Apr 2021 -- Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said here on Tuesday that if the United States wishes to save the disputed nuclear deal known as the JCPOA, it must terminate the entire nuclear sanctions.
• JCPOA Joint Commission first round ends in Vienna IRNA 06 Apr 2021 -- The first round of the 18th session of the Joint Commission of the Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meeting held at the Grand Hotel in Vienna ended with an agreement to continue consultations at the level of experts.
• Iran will in no way enter negotiations beyond JCPOA: Security chief Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani says the Islamic Republic will under no circumstances enter negotiations beyond the nuclear agreement it clinched with six major world states in 2015.
• Vienna hosts talks between Iran, JCPOA parties on future of nuclear deal Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Representatives of Iran and the other remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal have held a new round of talks in Vienna over a possible return of the United States to the agreement that it abandoned some three years ago.
• Iran, World Powers Hold Vienna Talks Aimed At Reviving Nuclear Accord RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- Representatives from five world powers met with Iranian officials in Vienna in an effort to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States abandoned in 2018.
• Iran holds bilateral talks with P4 + 1 delegations ISNA 06 Apr 2021 -- Intensive consultations between the various delegations are taking place in Vienna before the joint commission meeting of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which is scheduled to be held today at 14:30 local time (17:00 Tehran time).
• Iran starts mechanical test of IR-9 centrifuges: AEOI spokesman ISNA 06 Apr 2021 -- The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi announced that the organization has begun the mechanical test of its new-generation IR-9 centrifuges.
• Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Starts Testing New IR-9 Centrifuge for Enriching Uranium Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) has started testing the next-generation IR-9 centrifuge for enriching uranium, which is 50 times more powerful than the IR-1 centrifuge, AEOI spokesman Behrooz Kamalvandi said on Tuesday.
• Iran will unveil 133 new nuclear achievements on Nuclear Technology Day: AEOI Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the country is set to unveil and inaugurate 133 new achievements in the nuclear technology sector on the occasion of National Nuclear Technology Day.
• No need to approve Iran-China deal in parliament: Iran minister Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Iran's finance minister says an economic partnership agreement signed with China last month would be effective without any need to win the approval of the Iranian parliament.
• Public Spat Reveals Divisions In Iran's Revolutionary Guards Ahead Of Presidential Vote RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- A dispute within Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has spilled into public view with a deputy commander lashing out at an aide to the IRGC's commander in chief who has ambitions to win the presidency in a June election.
• Iran Charges 10 Officials Over 2020 Downing Of Ukrainian Airliner Near Tehran RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- Iran says it has charged 10 officials over the crash of a Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) jet that was shot down last year, killing all 176 people on board.
• Plunder by Troops a Byproduct of Military Rule in Myanmar as Economic Misery Deepens Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- Myanmar citizens are struggling with shortages of food and other necessities after 65 days of rule under the military junta, whose troops shake down cargo trucks at roadblocks and steal goods and cash from vehicles, stores, and homes, residents said Tuesday.
• Interview: 'All Charges Made Against Aung San Suu Kyi Are Not Really Lawful' Radio Free Asia 06 Apr 2021 -- It's been 65 days since the Myanmar military seized power from the democratically elected government of country leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup that has evolved into the savage repression of largely peaceful protesters who oppose the junta. In the early days of the power grab, security forces arrested several government leaders, including the state counselor, President Win Myint, lawmakers, and state and regional officials from the ruling National League for Democracy.
• Russia warns sanctions against Myanmar's junta could spark civil war Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Russia has warned against imposing sanctions on Myanmar's military, saying punitive measures could spark a full-blown civil war in the Southeast Asian country following the recent coup there.
• Israel's Netanyahu mandated to form new cabinet amid political stalemate Press TV 06 Apr 2021 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been tasked with forming a new cabinet after another inconclusive election last month further deepened the Israeli regime's political crisis.
• Israel's Netanyahu Receives Mandate to Form New Government Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- The veteran Likud politician served as prime minister from 1996-1999, and again from 2009-2013, 2013-2015, 2015-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-present, with the last three terms served amidst a costly and tumultuous political deadlock in Israeli politics, and allegations of fraud, bribery and breach of trust against Netanyahu himself.
• Israeli President Picks Netanyahu to Try to Form Government VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Israeli President Reuven Rivlin announced Tuesday he selected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to form a new government.
• Sudan's Cabinet Votes to Remove Anti-Israel Law VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Sudan's Cabinet approved a bill Tuesday that will roll back a 63-year-old law that strained relations between the country and Israel, according to a statement.
• Erdogan Confirms Turkey's Determination to Become EU Member Sputnik 06 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed during talks with the heads of the European Commission and European Council on Tuesday that Turkey remained committed to entering the bloc, his spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said.
• EU Leaders Warn Erdogan on Human Rights Amid Progress in Talks VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday for talks on a reset in relations. After meeting Erdogan in Ankara, Michel spoke to reporters about the EU's deep concern over human rights in Turkey.
• Armenia's Ex-President Kocharian Cleared Of Coup Charges RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- An Armenian judge has dropped a criminal case against former President Robert Kocharian and his co-defendants over a deadly crackdown on protesters more than a decade ago.
• Erk, Uzbekistan's First Opposition Party, Says It Will Attempt To Field A Presidential Candidate RFE/RL 06 Apr 2021 -- Uzbekistan's Erk (Freedom) Party, which was banned in the 1990s and its leader forced out of the country and his associates jailed, says it plans to try to field a candidate for president in the election later this year.
• Designation of Representative in Paraguayan Congress for Involvement in Significant Corruption US Dept. of State 06 Apr 2021 -- " am announcing today the public designation of a Representative in the Paraguayan Legislature's Lower House, Ulises Rolando Quintana Maldonado due to his involvement in significant corruption."
• 'Staggering' scale of acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo UN News 06 Apr 2021 -- Levels of hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are at a "staggering" record high, now affecting one-in-three people, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
• Record Number of People in DR Congo Face Acute Hunger VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- The World Food Program reports a record 27.3 million people in Democratic Republic of the Congo are facing acute hunger and are in urgent need of food aid.
• Peru's Nationwide Electoral Restrictions in Effect, Leading Up to General Elections VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Nationwide electoral restrictions are now in effect in Peru, leading up to Sunday's general elections.
• Tanzania Orders Reopening of Media Houses Closed Under Magufuli VOA 06 Apr 2021 -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered the reopening of media outlets that were closed or otherwise repressed under President John Magufuli, who died last month. In a further break from Magufuli, Hassan said Tuesday that Tanzania will begin following scientific procedures in handling the coronavirus.