Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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Current Operations

• Iraqi resistance group: Military option to remain on table until US forces leave country Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- The leader of a prominent Iraqi resistance group says the military option against the occupying US forces stationed in Iraq will remain on the table as long as they stay in the Arab country.
• Update on withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan June 14, 2021 CENTCOM 15 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 14, 2021.
• Afghan forces retake two districts from Taliban after days of fierce fighting Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- Afghan security forces have managed to retake two northern districts from the Taliban, amid a fierce offensive by the militants which has forced Afghan troops out of some areas.
• Erdogan Says Turkey Would Require U.S. Support To Protect Kabul's Civilian Airport RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Jun 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would need support from the United States to protect Kabul's international airport if it were to maintain troops in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of other NATO troops.
• Gunmen Target Polio Vaccination Teams In Afghanistan, Killing Five RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Jun 2021 -- Gunmen on June 15 targeted several polio vaccination teams in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least five of the medical workers. It was the second such assault against polio vaccination teams in the area in less than three months.
• Gunmen shoot five polio vaccinators to death in eastern Afghanistan Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- Five polio vaccinators have been shot dead and several others injured by gunmen in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province, officials say.
• Five polio vaccination workers shot dead in Afghanistan; UN condemns 'brutal' killings UN News 15 Jun 2021 -- Five health workers carrying out a polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province were killed on Tuesday, and four others injured, during a series of attacks condemned by a senior UN official on the ground as brutal and "senseless".
• Taliban 'Running Social Security Net For 30,000 Families of "Martyrs" In Afghanistan' Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- As the US and allied troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, the Taliban is regaining the positions it once held, even establishing an administrative set-up to govern the territories under its control. More than 70 percent of Afghanistan is already under Taliban control, even as fighting between insurgents and Kabul's forces rages in other parts.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 15 Jun 2021
• PATRIOT 21 exercise underway at Volk Field Army News 15 Jun 2021 -- About 1,000 people are participating in PATRIOT 21, a domestic operations (DOMOPS) training exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau at Fort McCoy and Volk Field Air National Guard Base June 14–17.
• U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion AFRICOM 15 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Sixth Fleet ships, Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), and expeditionary fast transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5) are participating in U.S. Africa Command's (AFRICOM) largest and premier annual exercise African Lion, June 13, 2021.
• US Military Practices Bombing S-400 Batteries in Controversial 'African Lion' War Games in Morocco Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- US-led war games in North Africa have provoked controversy after Morocco, one of the hosting countries, said some drills would be held in Western Sahara, a territory it claims to rule. The US has backed Morocco's claims, but contradicted Rabat's statement about the drills being held there.
• Georgia Guard completes multinational live-fire training Army News 15 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Army Soldiers with the Georgia Army National Guard completed nighttime multinational live-fire training during exercise African Lion 21 June 13-14.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Meeting With Euro Quad: France, Germany, and the U.K. DoD 15 Jun 2021
• Adding Predictability to Fleet Communications During Solar Flares US Navy 15 Jun 2021 -- A U.S. Navy destroyer is operating in the Western Pacific and is impacted by the effects of a massive solar flare. This event has caused a ripple affect across the globe; impacting power grids, destroying electrical infrastructure and causing havoc to electronic communications. Our ship's captain wonders how long this will last?
• PHIBRON 11 conducts bilateral amphibious operations with JS Shimokita US Navy 15 Jun 2021 -- The forward-deployed ships of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11 conducted bilateral amphibious operations with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) tank landing ship JS Shimokita (LST 4002) in the Philippine Sea, June 12-13.
• Army awards C5 OTA prototype projects for COMINT, ELINT solutions for MDSS HADES PEO-IEW&S 15 Jun 2021 -- The U.S. Army Project Director for Sensors – Aerial Intelligence (PD SAI) entered into Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements on June 11, 2021 through the Consortium for Command, Control, and Communications in Cyberspace (C5) to engage L-3 Communications Integrated Systems and Raytheon Applied Signal Technology.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Meeting With the French Minister of the Armed Forces DoD 15 Jun 2021
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin "Benny" Gantz DoD 15 Jun 2021
• US, Saudi forces hold anti-drone drill amid fear of resistance power Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- The US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it has held a joint exercise with Saudi forces on countering small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• NATO Stands Together as Biden Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Alliance DoD News 15 Jun 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the NATO-Russia relationship, "is at its lowest point since the Cold War, and Moscow's aggressive actions are a threat to our security."
• Short remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain at their meeting in the margins of the NATO Summit NATO 15 Jun 2021
• NATO wraps up summit on transatlantic ties, new agenda People's Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held a face-to-face summit on Monday to show their unity and agreed on the "NATO 2030" agenda to address future challenges.
• NATO and Luxembourg boost Alliance Space Situational Awareness NATO 15 Jun 2021 -- Supported by Luxembourg, NATO plans to develop a Space Situational Awareness Capability that will provide NATO Headquarters with a clearer situational awareness of space.
• China Refutes NATO Statement that it Poses 'Systemic Challenges' to International Community VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- Beijing says NATO's description that China poses "systemic challenges" to the international community is an exaggeration.
• China fires back at NATO's claims, says it won't sit back in face of systemic challenges Global Times 15 Jun 2021 -- China fired back on Tuesday over allegations against China from a communiqué released after the conclusion of the NATO summit and warned that it would not sit back if any others pose systemic challenges to it, and it will closely watch NATO's strategic adjustments toward China.
• China dismisses NATO's claim as continuation of Cold War mentality, bloc politics People's Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- The Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) on Monday rejected NATO's claim of presenting "systemic challenges," saying it is a slander on China's peaceful development and represents "a continuation of the Cold War mentality and bloc politics."
• China urges NATO to view China's development in rational manner PLA Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- A spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) on June 15 urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to view China's development in a rational manner and stop hyping up the so called "China threat" in any form.
• Beijing warns NATO against exaggerating 'China threat theory' Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- Beijing has warned NATO against exaggerating the perceived threat from China and "artificially creating confrontation," after US President Joe Biden urged Washington's European allies to stand up to the Asian power.
• China passes law to protect status of military personnel PLA Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- On the afternoon of June 10, China passed a law on protecting the status, rights and interests of military personnel. The legislation was adopted at the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), and will be implemented since August 1 this year as scheduled. The new legislation includes 71 articles in 7 chapters, serving to regulate the protection rules to the honor and reputation of service members, define the basic system for guaranteeing their benefits, improve the pension and preferential treatment system, and clarify the legal accountability mechanism.
• INDIAN ARMY CONDUCTS RAIL TRIALS ON DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR (DFC) India PIB 15 Jun 2021 -- The recently developed "Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)" by the Indian Railways provides faster movement of freight across the Country.
• India Conducts Trial of Weapon-Loaded Train to Boost War Readiness Amid Tensions With China - Video Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- With little headway in the de-escalation of tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China have started mobilising additional military resources. The border stand-off between the two Asian rivals escalated last year with a deadly skirmish in Galwan valley on 15-16 June 2020.
• Senior military commander: Our air defenses fully protect Iran's entire airspace Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- A senior Iranian military commander says the country's air defenses work as an integrated network, which provides full protection for Iran's entire airspace, guaranteeing complete security for all authorized aircraft.
• Iranian Navy Commander Says Tehran's Growing Oceangoing Capabilities 'Greatly Worry' Enemies Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- Until recently, the Iranian Navy and the elite Revolutionary Guard Navy have limited their operations to the protection of the country's coastlines, with occasional deployments taking place in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
• Australian amphibious force completes exercise Australia DOD 15 Jun 2021 -- Exercise Sea Explorer has concluded with about 1800 ADF personnel taking part and for the first time the tactical deployment of M1A1 Abrams tanks was exercised in amphibious operations.
• Rogue Ambush commences in the NT Australia DOD 15 Jun 2021 -- The Royal Australian Air Force will deploy over 300 personnel and approximately 30 aircraft to RAAF bases Darwin and Tindal to conduct Exercise Rogue Ambush 21-1 from 15 June to 2 July 2021.
• Exercise Arnhem Thunder completes in the Top End Australia DOD 15 Jun 2021 -- The Royal Australian Air Force has successfully completed Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21, a major training activity held at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory.
• Remarks by President Biden at the U.S.-EU Summit Expanded Plenary Session The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Remarks by President Biden, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen Before the U.S.-EU Summit The White House 15 Jun 2021
• On-the-Record Press Call by United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with President Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis of Switzerland The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Background Press Gaggle by Senior Administration Officials En Route Geneva, Switzerland The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official Previewing the U.S.-EU Summit The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Department Press Briefing – June 15, 2021 US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For June 15, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 15 June 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jun 2021
• China, ASEAN pledge efforts to safeguard regional peace PLA Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday pledged joint efforts to safeguard regional peace.
• Anger in Japan as South Korea begins annual war games near disputed islands Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- Seoul has launched annual war games around a set of islands also claimed by Tokyo in the East Sea, days after scheduled talks between Japan's prime minister and the South Korean president were called off amid a dispute over and Olympics map.
• Yemen 'a tale of missed and then lost opportunities', outgoing envoy tells Security Council UN News 15 Jun 2021 -- Yemen's warring sides have been unable to overcome their differences, dashing hopes for peace, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Tuesday in his final briefing to the Security Council in the role.
• UN Envoy Urges Yemen's Houthis to Accept Cease-fire Deal VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- The U.N. special envoy for Yemen said Tuesday that "time is not on Yemen's side" and urged Houthi rebels to come to the negotiating table to discuss a cease-fire and political settlement to the more than six-year-old conflict.
• Outgoing UN Yemen envoy hopes Oman's peace initiative will 'bear fruit' Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- The outgoing United Nations special envoy for Yemen says the warring sides in the Arabian Peninsula have so far failed to hammer out their differences and reach a truce deal, expressing hope that the peace efforts undertaken by Oman will "bear fruit."
• Over dozen people killed after bomb explosion hits army camp in Somali capital Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- At least 15 army recruits have been killed and several other wounded in a bomb attack on a military training camp in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, security sources say.
• At Least 10 Somali Army Recruits Killed in Suicide Attack VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- Somalia's army chief says a suicide bomber Tuesday killed at least 10 recruits and wounded 20 others at a military training school in the capital. The al-Shabab terror group claimed responsibility in a statement and has stepped up attacks ahead of elections expected by the end of July.
• UN: Deaths From Starvation Reported in Ethiopia's Tigray VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief warned Tuesday that the 1984 famine that killed more than 1 million Ethiopians could occur again if aid access to that country's northern Tigray region is not quickly improved, scaled up and properly funded.
• Tens of Thousands of Tigray Children Face Imminent Death, UNICEF Warns VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- The U.N. Children's Fund warns at least 33,000 severely malnourished children in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region face imminent death if they do not receive immediate help to treat their condition.
• Turkish President Visits Azerbaijani-Controlled City In Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited a part of Nagorno-Karabakh that is under Azerbaijan's control along with one of the seven districts adjacent to the breakaway region that Baku regained control over last autumn as a result of a six-week war against Armenian forces.
• UK underlines commitment to Western Balkans with extension of troops in Kosovo UK MOD 15 Jun 2021 -- UK troops will continue to contribute to the NATO Mission in Kosovo (KFOR) until at least 2023.
• 18 Killed in South Sudan Inter-Communal Clashes Despite Police Measures VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- When police in South Sudan's Lakes state heard tensions were rising between two local communities, they deployed forces along area roads and villages in an effort to prevent clashes.

News Reports

• US Attorney General Meets With Media Executives Over Leak Probe VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- Attorney General Merrick Garland met with top executives at CNN, The New York Times and Washington Post Monday in the aftermath of revelations that gag orders were imposed while the Trump administration Department of Justice worked to seize emails of national security reporters.
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism The White House 15 Jun 2021
• FACT SHEET: National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism The White House 15 Jun 2021
• Statement from Secretary Mayorkas on the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism DHS 15 Jun 2021 -- With today's release of the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, President Biden is demonstrating his steadfast commitment to addressing the most significant and persistent terrorism-related threat to the homeland today.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism DoD 15 Jun 2021 -- "The release today of the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism is a milestone in our country's efforts to address a serious and growing security threat."
• Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Remarks: Domestic Terrorism Policy Address US Dept. of Justice 15 Jun 2021
• White House unveils plan to fight domestic terrorism Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- The White House has unveiled US President Joe Biden's strategy for fighting domestic extremism and terrorism which have spiked in recent years.
• New Biden Administration Strategy Seeks to Confront Domestic Terrorism VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday released its long-awaited strategy for countering domestic terrorism, a comprehensive plan that calls for both short- and long-term measures to confront the growing threat of attacks from militant white supremacists and other violent extremists.
• Trump Pressed Justice Department to Upend His Election Loss, Documents Show VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- In the last weeks of his administration, former U.S. President Donald Trump and his aides pressured the Justice Department to investigate his unfounded voting fraud complaints and upend his election loss, newly released documents Tuesday show.
• US Justice Department documents show Trump tried to overturn 2020 election Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- A House of Representatives panel has said former US President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and other allies to pressure the Department of Justice to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
• Biden, Putin Brace for Possible Fight Over Ransomware VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- As President Joe Biden prepares for his first meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Geneva, the White House says the threat of ransomware will be a "significant topic" of conversation between the two leaders.
• Biden Says Relations With Russia Would Be 'Hurt' If Navalny Were To Die RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden says if jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny were to die, it would be a "tragedy" that would damage Russia's relationship with the United States and the rest of the world.
• Both Sides Say Deals At Putin-Biden Talks Unlikely, But Meeting Useful RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Both sides have downplayed the chances of breakthroughs at a summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Switzerland, as the U.S. leader arrived in Geneva on the third leg of a major European trip.
• U.S., EU Pledge To 'High-Level Dialogue On Russia' Going Forward RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- The United States and European Union have announced an agreement to "establish an EU-U.S. high-level dialogue on Russia" to better coordinate policies and actions.
• Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the 36th Meeting of the Foreign Ministry's Council of the Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation, Moscow, June 15, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Jun 2021
• Navalny's Lawyer Quits Parliamentary Elections Over Draconian Law RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), says she is quitting her bid to become a member of parliament in order to protect her campaign team from being prosecuted under a draconian law that targets Navalny's associates.
• FBI Agent Admits to Falsely Accusing Nanotech Research Professor of Being a Chinese Military Spy Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- Since 2018, the US Department of Justice has been pursuing a 'China Initiative' - a Trump-era program created in response to allegations of national security threats by Chinese state-affiliated entities and agents. According to DoJ data, some 80% of economic espionage prosecutions and 60% of trade secret theft cases are allegedly linked to Beijing.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 15, 2021 PRC MofA 15 Jun 2021
• Can Biden's 'Build Back Better World Partnership' Really Challenge China? VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- The announcement over the weekend that the G-7 would throw its weight behind a U.S.-led proposal to create an alternative to China's eight-year-old Belt and Road Initiative was met with cautious optimism by international development experts.
• G7 statement denounced as 'deliberate slandering' People's Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- China's embassy in the United Kingdom denounced on Monday a joint statement released at the conclusion of the G7 summit on Sunday, saying that the mentions of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and other regions in China in the meeting's communique "distorted facts" and constituted "deliberate slandering" of China.
• Hungarian Lawmakers Vote To Donate State Land For Planned Chinese University RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Hungary's parliament has approved a proposal to donate state land to build a controversial Chinese university in Budapest despite a storm of local protests and criticism that the government is getting overly cozy with Beijing.
• Gov't official of China' HKSAR says country is Hong Kong's strongest backing PLA Daily 15 Jun 2021 -- Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said Sunday that the country is the strongest backing of Hong Kong and is where its confidence comes from.
• Belgium, Czech Republic Legislatures Pass Uyghur Genocide Declarations Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2021 -- The Belgian parliament on Tuesday recognized China's treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as crimes against humanity and warned of a "serious risk of genocide," joining other governments and legislatures that have made similar designations.
• Tajikistan Accused Of Helping China In Campaign Against Uyghurs RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Lawyers for Uyghur groups have given new evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that allegedly shows the Tajik government is cooperating with Beijing to send Uyghurs to China, where they face detention and often much worse.
• China's New Law Lets Government Target Tech Firms Over Data Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2021 -- A new law passed this week by China's National People's Congress (NPC) will give the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the power to shut down companies in possession of user data deemed important or critical by officials.
• Many Young People in China 'Lie Flat' as Good Life Seems Unattainable VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- Fed up with a culture of overwork, through-the-roof housing prices and skyrocketing living costs, many Chinese youth are "lying flat" to express their frustration with the lack of upward social mobility.
• Anonymous Hacker-Turned-Political Blogger 'Detained, Tortured' in Shanghai Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2021 -- Authorities in China have detained the anonymous author of the Program-Think politics blog, who evaded government surveillance for around 12 years, subjecting him to brutal interrogations in a bid to gain a "confession," RFA has learned.
• China's nuclear power plants are operating normally and in line with international standards: FM Global Times 15 Jun 2021 -- The current status of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Taishan, South China's Guangdong Province meets technical specification requirements, and no abnormal radioactive indicators have been recorded, said the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, in response to a report warning an "imminent radiological threat."
• FM says China's nuclear power plants operate normally, in line with intl standards; CNN criticized for selective reporting Global Times 15 Jun 2021 -- The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Taishan, South China's Guangdong Province meets technical requirements, and no abnormal radioactive indicators have been recorded, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, in response to a US media report warning of an "imminent radioactive threat."
• Twenty-eight Chinese military planes enter Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 15 Jun 2021 -- As many as 28 Chinese military aircraft, including fighter jets, entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, two days after the Group of Seven (G7) highlighted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
• Iran Has Produced 251 Pounds of Highly Enriched Uranium Since January Sputnik 15 Jun 2021 -- Iran has produced around 114 kilograms (251 pounds) of highly enriched uranium in the past five months, Iranian government's spokesperson Ali Rabie said on Tuesday.
• EU Envoy Sees Progress In Iran Nuclear Talks, Swiss Say U.S. Seeking 'New Path' RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- The top European diplomat coordinating international talks to revive a 5-year-old deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities has urged patience but says he thinks "the obstacles [are]...something that I think can be bridged."
• Hearings Resume for Myanmar's Deposed Civilian Leader VOA 15 Jun 2021 -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's ousted de facto civilian leader, returned to a courtroom in the capital, Naypyidaw, Tuesday to stand trial on two of the most serious corruption-related charges brought against her by the military junta that overthrew her government earlier this year.
• Myanmar Junta Forces Ram Protesters With Cars, Fire on Churches Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2021 -- Security forces in Myanmar's largest city are ramming unarmed protesters using unmarked vehicles in what activists said was a new tactic to quell more than four months of anti-junta demonstrations.
• Myanmar's Youth Increasingly Look for Opportunity Abroad Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2021 -- Myanmar's youth are increasingly looking to move abroad in hopes of finding better opportunities, with many saying the Feb. 1 military takeover effectively killed off any hope they had in their homeland, youths told RFA.
• Trial Date Set For Belarusian Vlogger Tsikhanouski, Other Opposition Figures RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- A court in Belarus has set June 24 as the date for the start of a trial of Belarusian video blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a leading opposition figure who was arrested after expressing his willingness to challenge Alyaksandr Lukashenka in last year's disputed presidential election.
• Russia Reportedly Removes Belarusian Opposition Leader From Wanted List RFE/RL 15 Jun 2021 -- Russian police have removed Belarusian opposition politician Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya from their wanted list at the initiative of the Belarusian authorities, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reports.
• Once allies, Netanyahu threatens to topple Bennett's government Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- Escalating rifts among Israeli leaders have burst into the open with the transition of power, with former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening to topple the new government headed by his ally-turned-rival Naftali Bennett.
• Biden, Erdogan hold first bilateral meeting amid unresolved rifts Press TV 15 Jun 2021 -- US President Joe Biden and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have held their first face-to-face meeting amid a history of soured ties over a host of controversial issues that have remained unresolved.