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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Update on withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan June 7, 2021 CENTCOM 08 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Central Command provides the following update on the orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, as of 10 a.m. on June 7, 2021.
• US Military Says Withdrawal From Afghanistan More Than Half Complete VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- The U.S. military estimates that it has completed more than half of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, a pace that appears far ahead of the September 11 deadline set by President Joe Biden in April.
• Pentagon: US withdrawal from Afghanistan past halfway point Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- The Pentagon has announced that it has passed the halfway point in withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan, amid concerns that Washington's longest war in the country is not going to end despite the September 11 pullout.
• Taliban Captures Another Afghan District As Battle Rages Ahead Of International Troop Pullout RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jun 2021 -- The Taliban has captured another district center in Afghanistan, adding to the insurgent group's recent military gains since the start of the withdrawal of international troops from the war-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Letter to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Regarding the War Powers Report The White House 08 Jun 2021
• DOD Vaccine Centers Draw Down to 5 DoD News 08 Jun 2021 -- Back in February, the Defense Department partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up community vaccination centers to administer COVID-19 vaccines to Americans who wanted them.
• FY22 budget gives Air & Space Forces the strength to meet threats, Roth, Brown, Raymond tell Senate US Air Force 08 Jun 2021 -- Acting Air Force Secretary John Roth, joined by the Air and Space Forces' highest-ranking officers, told a Senate subcommittee June 8 the department's budget proposal recognizes challenges posed by China and Russia while also laying the groundwork for the forces needed in 2030 and beyond.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 08 Jun 2021
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 08 Jun 2021
• Department of Defense Successfully Demonstrates a 5G Network for Smart Warehouses DoD 08 Jun 2021 -- The Department of Defense's (DOD) 5G-to-Next G Initiative (5GI), overseen by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, successfully demonstrated an advanced 5G network for logistics modernization exclusively designed and built in the United States.
• The Defense Department's Strategic and Critical Materials Review DoD 08 Jun 2021 -- Today, the Defense Department released the Strategic and Critical Materials 100-day Sector Review, as directed by Executive Order 14017. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III released the following statement:
• Hicks Provides Overview of DOD Priorities DoD News 08 Jun 2021 -- The deputy defense secretary today spoke about a wide range of topics regarding Defense Department priorities reflected in the fiscal year 2022 budget request.
• Submariners, SEALS Join Forces on USS New Mexico US Navy 08 Jun 2021 -- Virginia-class submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) embarked members of the Navy Special Warfare community for scheduled interoperability exercises during a brief stop in Souda Bay June 4, 2021.
• U.S. Forces Conduct Joint Aviation Integration Exercise with UAE and Saudi Arabia US Navy 08 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) conducted multiple simultaneous, joint air operations in support of maritime surface warfare (AOMSW) exercises with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Coast Guard and Joint Aviation Command (JAC), and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) in the Arabian Gulf, June 1-2.
• Press Conference with Admiral Michael M. Gilday, Admiral Tony Radakin, and Admiral Pierre Vandier US Navy 08 Jun 2021
• Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg began a visit to Washington D.C. on Monday (7 June 2021) by previewing the upcoming NATO Summit at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. Letter to Certain Congressional Committees Regarding Afghanistan The White House 08 Jun 2021
• NATO Secretary General meets with President Biden at the White House NATO 08 Jun 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington D.C. on Monday (7 June 2021), to discuss preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit on 14 June.
• NATO Secretary General meets with members of U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. NATO 08 Jun 2021 -- During the second day of his visit to Washington D.C. on Tuesday (8 June 2021), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with members of the U.S. Congress, including the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Gerry Connolly; Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks; and several U.S. Senators.
• Statement by the NATO Secretary General on the affirmation of Ratko Mladic's conviction NATO 08 Jun 2021
• Russian Navy's First Full-Stealth Ship Reportedly Under Construction RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- Russia is building its first naval ship to be fully equipped with stealth technology to make it very difficult to detect, the RIA Novosti state news agency reported, quoting two separate sources in the country's military shipbuilding sector.
• 'Provocative': Russia Blasts Arctic Challenge War Games Involving US Military Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- Air units from the United States, Norway, Sweden, and Finland kicked off the Arctic Challenge Exercise 2021 on Monday, with the manoeuvres, set to run until next Friday, among the largest tactical air exercises of their kind in Europe. The drills are being held at bases in northern Scandinavia as little as 150 km from the Russian border.
• Putin signs law on Russia's official withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to officially quit the Treaty on Open Skies, the Kremlin said Monday.
• PLA conducts amphibious landing drills amid latest US provocation on Taiwan question Global Times 08 Jun 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army and Navy recently held joint amphibious landing exercises in Southeast China's coastal regions, with landing ships transporting a large number of armored vehicles, assault units, troops and supplies. Experts said on Tuesday that the drills built a concrete basis for winning possible future battles against Taiwan secessionists, following the latest US provocation by sending a military transport aircraft to the island of Taiwan.
• Lack of Recent Combat Experience a 'Significant Weakness' for China's PLA, Says US Congress Report Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- China's President Xi Jinping in 2017 announced Beijing's intention to transform the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a "world-class" fighting force by the mid-21st century. A new US Congress report says that China is already "eroding" the military advantages of the American forces in certain warfare areas.
• China considers law banning defamation of military personnel People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- Chinese lawmakers are considering a new law that bans the defamation of military personnel.
• US Not Seeking Pakistani Bases, 'Nor Is it Possible,' Pakistani Officials Tell VOA VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- Pakistan has formally conveyed to the United States that Islamabad will not provide military bases to Washington for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan after all international troops exit the war-torn country, and the U.S. side has stopped raising the issue, senior Pakistani officials said.
• First F-35A touches down at Tindal Australia DOD 08 Jun 2021 -- Around midday on May 20, a lone F-35A Lightning II roared over and touched down at RAAF Base Tindal for the first time.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For June 8, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 8 June 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jun 2021
• ASEAN, Beijing Agree to Self-Restraint in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- Beijing and Southeast Asian nations have agreed not to escalate tensions in the South China Sea, a joint statement said, following recent Chinese incursions in maritime zones claimed by the Philippines and Malaysia.
• China-ASEAN ties 'most successful and dynamic' in Asia-Pacific; FMs agree to resume S. China Sea code of conduct talks Global Times 08 Jun 2021 -- China and ASEAN countries have expanded and deepened their mutual interests by properly managing differences over the past 30 years, creating the most successful example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrating the mutual desire of the two sides to maintain regional peace and stability while resolutely objecting to interference by extraterritorial countries, Chinese observers said after the special foreign ministers' meeting between China and ASEAN countries on Monday.
• Syria's air defenses intercept Israeli missiles over Damascus Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- The Syrian military says the country's air defenses have intercepted a number of Israeli missiles in the skies over the capital Damascus.
• More Than 10,000 Displaced by Renewed Fighting in Myanmar's Battle-Ravaged Chin State Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- More than 10,000 people have fled their homes in Myanmar's Chin state amid renewed fighting between junta troops and anti-coup militias in the region, according to sources, who reported casualties from clashes on Tuesday.
• Senior Hamas delegation in Cairo to discuss Gaza's situation Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- A ranking delegation from Hamas enters the Egyptian capital to discuss the latest political and field developments concerning the blockaded Gaza Strip that was recently hit by an Israeli war but returned the aggression with unprecedented defensive maneuvers.
• Palestinian National Authority Files 3 Lawsuits Against Israel With ICC, PM Shtayyeh Says Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has filed three lawsuits against Israel in the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning Palestinian prisoners, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in different years, and illegal Israeli settlements on occupied lands, Mohammad Shtayyeh, the PNA's prime minister, said on Tuesday.
• UN court upholds Ratko Mladić convictions and life sentence UN News 08 Jun 2021 -- A UN court on Tuesday upheld the life sentence imposed on former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladić for his role in the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
• Statement by the President on the Affirmation of Ratko Mladic's Conviction The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Affirming the Conviction of Former Bosnian Serb Army Commander Ratko Mladic for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes US Dept. of State 08 Jun 2021 -- "Today's decision from the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals affirming the conviction of Ratko Mladic on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes brings a measure of long-awaited justice to victims and their families in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
• Western Balkans: Appeal judgment on Ratko Mladić UK FCDO 08 Jun 2021 -- The Foreign Secretary has welcomed today's judgment in The Hague upholding Ratko Mladić's convictions of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• UN Court Rejects Bosnia War Crimes Appeal VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- United Nations judges have rejected former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic's appeal of his 2017 conviction for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity — a ruling that keeps him in prison for the rest of his life.
• UN court upholds Bosnian Serb military chief's war crimes, genocide convictions Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- United Nations (UN) war crimes judges have upheld a genocide conviction and life sentence against former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia."
• UN Court Rejects Genocide Appeal By 'Butcher Of Bosnia' Ratko Mladic RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- A United Nations court in The Hague has rejected an appeal by former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic against his life sentence for his role in Europe's worst atrocities since the end of World War II.
• In letter to UN, Eritrea accuses US of destabilizing Ethiopia's Tigray region Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh has blamed the United States for "stoking further conflict and destabilization" in Ethiopia's Tigray through interference and intimidation in the northern region.
• Witnessing the Juba Peace Agreement: Troika statement UK FCDO 08 Jun 2021 -- Statement from the UK, Norway and USA on witnessing the Juba Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and Sudanese Opposition Groups.
• Thousands fled violence after Burkina Faso massacre: UN Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- More than 3,300 people have fled their homes in a village in northern Burkina Faso following the country's worst massacre in six years, the United Nations said.
• Survivors of Burkina Faso Massacre in Urgent Need of Aid VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- The U.N. refugee agency says survivors of the Saturday massacre in a Burkina Faso village are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
• Cameroon Clerics Plea to Spare Clergy in Separatist Conflict VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- Clergy in Cameroon have appealed to both sides in the country's separatist conflict to stop abducting and harassing priests. Within the past two weeks, six Roman Catholic priests and missionaries were abducted, and a church attacked, leaving at least two dead and 11 wounded.
• Azerbaijan Says Member Of Armenian 'Saboteur' Group Detained; Yerevan Rejects Claim RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- Azerbaijan says its military has detained an Armenian soldier who it claims is a member of an Armenian Army sabotage unit, an accusation that Armenia rejected, saying one of its soldiers wandered by mistake into Azerbaijani-controlled territory because of fog.

News Reports

• FBI's Encrypted Phone Platform Infiltrated Hundreds of Criminal Syndicates; Result is Massive Worldwide Takedown DoJ -US Attorney - DC 08 Jun 2021 -- A wave of hundreds of arrests that began in Australia and stretched across Europe culminated today with the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment in San Diego charging 17 foreign nationals with distributing thousands of encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates.
• How a Fake FBI-Encrypted Device Ensnared Criminals Around the World VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- The global sting operation billed as "Trojan Shield" that led to the arrests of hundreds of criminals this week began with the takedown of an encrypted device maker catering to drug traffickers around the world.
• 800 Arrested in Global Organized Crime Investigation VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- More than 800 suspects have been arrested, 32 tons of drugs seized and $148 million confiscated in a massive global organized crime investigation, law enforcement authorities said Tuesday.
• Pipeline Executive Felt Cornered by Ransomware Attack VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- The top executive for the biggest fuel pipeline operator in the United States told lawmakers he felt like he had no choice but to pay off hackers after a ransomware attack shut down operations along the East Coast.
• US Senate Committees Highlight Intelligence, Security Failures in Capitol Attack VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- Two U.S. Senate committees issued a joint report Tuesday detailing "a number of intelligence and security failures" ahead of and during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
• Senate Report on Capitol Storming Details Lack of Intel Sharing, Broken Command Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- A new Senate report, published on Tuesday, has uncovered a string of intelligence and security failures leading up to and on January 6 that allowed Donald Trump's supporters to breach the Capitol building.
• The Stability and Security of the Western Balkans US Dept. of State 08 Jun 2021 -- The United States is committed to ensuring the stability and security of the Western Balkans, allowing countries in the region to fulfill their potential as free and prosperous democracies.
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on Blocking Property And Suspending Entry Into The United States Of Certain Persons Contributing To The Destabilizing Situation In The Western Balkans The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Western Balkans The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Executive Order on Blocking Property And Suspending Entry Into The United States Of Certain Persons Contributing To The Destabilizing Situation In The Western Balkans The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Western Balkans The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Blinken Say U.S. Working With Germany To Mitigate Adverse Impact Of Nord Stream 2 Pipeline RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington is working with Germany to try to mitigate any adverse effects of the completion of the Russian Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline.
• A Year After His Death, Russia's 'Accidental Dissident' Still Fighting An Abusive Prison System RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- Although the protagonist died one year ago, the strange saga of Russia's so-called accidental dissident continues to play out in a courtroom in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
• Navalny Ally Sobol's Appeal Of Suspended Sentence Denied RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- A court in Moscow has upheld a one-year correctional-labor sentence for Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), on trespassing charges that she has described as a move to silence her.
• Jailed Russian Activist Charged With Violating 'Foreign Agent' Law RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- The jailed former executive director of the pro-democracy Open Russia movement, Andrei Pivovarov, has been charged with failure to provide authorities with details of his group, which had been added to "foreign agents" registry.
• Russian Dissidents Urge 'More Decisive' Action Against Putin.htm VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- Russian dissidents are urging the West to take tougher action against President Vladimir Putin, saying it is in the West's own self-interest to adopt a more decisive strategy against the Kremlin or pay a higher price later.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 8, 2021 PRC MofA 08 Jun 2021
• China urges U.S. to view China's development in objective, rational manner People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- China on Monday urged the United States to view China's development in an objective and rational manner and stop hyping up the so-called China threat theory.
• China-CEEC cooperation forges ahead amid noises Global Times 08 Jun 2021 -- China on Tuesday kicked off a major trade expo aimed at boosting trade with Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) with widespread participation by heads of state and businesses from the region, shrugging off recent disruptions and noise instigated by the US in Europe that has cast some uncertainty over massive China-Europe economic and trade ties.
• Facebook Turned Down Hundreds of User Data Requests From Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- Social media platform Facebook said it had turned down more than 200 requests for user data from authorities in Hong Kong after the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed a draconian national security law on the city from July 1, 2020.
• Xi stresses strong primary-level Party organizations for communities People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed that strong primary-level Party organizations are needed to provide good services in communities for the public.
• Xi stresses strong primary-level Party organizations for communities PLA Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed that strong primary-level Party organizations are needed to provide good services in communities for the public.
• China reveals new list of 64 removed illicit social organizations People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs on Monday revealed a new list of 64 illegal social organizations that have been removed by local civil affairs authorities over recent years.
• Plan to Force College Mergers Sparks Campus Protests in China Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- Plans by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to force private colleges to merge with vocational colleges have sparked campus protests across the country.
• What Pakistan's Relationship With China Tells Us About The Belt And Road Initiative RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jun 2021 -- A recent study of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan suggests Beijing has less control over its massive development projects as was first thought and often has to alter its plans to accommodate Pakistani officials.
• U.S. hints at possible resumption of TIFA talks with Taiwan CNA 08 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested Monday that the United States could resume trade and investment talks with Taiwan that have not been held since 2016.
• US' Taiwan card extends to economy Global Times 08 Jun 2021 -- With the use of the Taiwan card, the US' provocation of the Chinese mainland has extended to the field of trade and economy, just one day after three US senators' visit to the island.
• China urges U.S. to sever official, military ties with Taiwan People's Daily 08 Jun 2021 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Monday urged the United States to cut off any form of official exchanges and military contact with China's Taiwan.
• Beijing warns US against trade deal with Chinese Taipei Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- Beijing has issued a stark warning against Washington's plans to begin yet another trade deal with Chinese Taipei during a recent visit by a US delegation there.
• Beijing Blasts US Senators' 'Vile Political Provocation' in Taiwan Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- Taiwan, which is regarded by China as part of its territory, was visited on Sunday by a bipartisan group of American senators arriving on a US military plane. The lawmakers announced that they would donate 750,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to the island.
• 'Very vicious political provocation,' says defense ministry in response to US senators' visit to Taiwan island by military plane Global Times 08 Jun 2021 -- China's Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday slammed the visit of three US senators to the island of Taiwan by military plane, condemning the move as "very vicious political provocation" and warned secessionists on the island they would ultimately get burned by tying themselves to foreign forces.
• N. Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Discussed Economic Policy with Senior Advisors VOA 08 Jun 2021 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gathered his senior advisors Monday to discuss his economic policies ahead of a key meeting of the North's ruling party.
• Elite North Korean Farm Sells Chicken Embryos as Heath Supplements to Raise Cash Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- The meat and poultry farm that has served Kim Jong Un and the earlier two generations of North Korea's ruling family is selling chicken embryos as "nutritional supplements" and selling beef on the black market to fill holes in a budget hit hard by the coronavirus, sources in the country told RFA.
• Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Convenes Consultative Meeting of Senior Officials of WPK Central Committee and Provincial Party Committees KCNA 08 Jun 2021 -- Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, convened a consultative meeting of senior officials of the Party Central Committee and provincial Party committees at the office building of the Party Central Committee on June 7.
• Gov't spox hopes full revival of the JCPOA before next Iranian gov't IRNA 08 Jun 2021 -- Spokesman for the Iranian Government Ali Rabiei on Tuesday expressed hope that full revival of the JCPOA could be declared before the next Iranian government takes office.
• Iran warns IAEA's positions could endanger future interaction Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- Iran's ambassador to the international organizations in Vienna warns that the UN nuclear watchdog's recent unconstructive positions towards the Islamic Republic could jeopardize the future of the country's interaction with the body.
• Hundreds Of Sanctions Against Iran Likely To Remain Even If Nuclear Deal Revived, Blinken Says RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hundreds of U.S. sanctions on Tehran likely would remain in place even if Iran and the United States return to compliance with the nuclear deal with world powers.
• Junta claims democracy plans making progress in Myanmar Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- Myanmar's military junta, which took power in a coup d'état four months ago, has defended the way it has dealt with daily anti-coup protests and strikes that have paralyzed the nation and revived fears of a full-scale civil war.
• Myanmar Military's Killings of Children Are 'Serious Crimes,' Says Opposition NUG Minister Radio Free Asia 08 Jun 2021 -- Myanmar military forces have killed at least 73 children nationwide in the four months following the February coup that overthrew the elected government, a minister in the parallel government formed by ousted civilian leaders told RFA on Tuesday.
• 'Lukashenka's Hell': Tsikhanouskaya Calls On West To Sting Belarus Regime With Tougher Sanctions RFE/RL 08 Jun 2021 -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for tougher Western sanctions to be imposed on the government of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, saying they are the only way to hurt the authoritarian ruler's regime.
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Actions and Policies of Certain Members of the Government of Belarus and other Persons to Undermine Democratic Processes or Institutions of Belarus The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Actions and Policies of Certain Members of the Government of Belarus and other Persons to Undermine Democratic Processes or Institutions of Belarus The White House 08 Jun 2021
• Israeli lawmakers to vote June 13 on anti-Netanyahu coalition Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- Israel's parliament Knesset is scheduled to vote for a new coalition cabinet on Sunday, potentially putting an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year grip on power.
• South African Health Minister Put on Leave in Corruption Scandal Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday decided to put Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on special leave amid accusations of corruption concerning COVID-19-related contracts.
• Paul Givan appointed as Northern Ireland First Minister amid deepening political crisis Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- As expected Paul Givan has been appointed as Northern Ireland's First Minister by Edwin Poots, the newly-elected leader of the Ulster Democratic Party (DUP).
• US Policy on Ukraine Creates Tensions, Negotiations Format Does Not Really Matter, Moscow Says Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- Washington's "irresponsible" policy on Ukraine continues to "create tensions", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday, commenting on the recent conversation of the US and the Ukrainian leaders.
• Security Council votes to reelect Guterres as UN chief for second term Press TV 08 Jun 2021 -- The United Nations Security Council has voted to reelect Antonio Guterres as the UN secretary general, assuring a second term for the Portuguese statesman that will keep him in office until 2027.
• António Guterres nominated by Security Council for second term as UN chief UN News 08 Jun 2021 -- The Security Council has formally selected the current Secretary-General António Guterres as its nominee to serve a second five-year term in the UN's top job.
• Socialist Castillo Calls on Peru's Electoral Office to 'Protect the Vote' as Fujimori Alleges Fraud Sputnik 08 Jun 2021 -- Although early polls suggested the right-wing Fuerza Popular candidate Keiko Fujimori was likely to win the presidential elections in Peru on Sunday, as the final votes are tallied, her left-wing opponent, Pedro Castillo, has pulled ahead. Fujimori has alleged voter fraud by Castillo's party, but international observers have reported no foul play.