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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 25 Jun 2021 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Biden Says Afghans Now Have to Decide Their Future VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- "Afghans are going to have to decide their future," U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday in his first face-to-face meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.
• RAF Puma helicopter detachment returns from Afghanistan UK MOD 25 Jun 2021 -- The RAF Puma detachment serving in Afghanistan in support of the NATO Resolute Support Mission since March 2015 has now returned to RAF Benson.
• Taliban Fighters Return To Central Asia's Borders RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Jun 2021 -- For any Central Asia governments that thought they had time to consider their policies toward Afghanistan while the last foreign troops are withdrawing from the country, the clock already seems to have run out.
• Biden To Meet Afghan Leaders As Concern Mounts Over Relocation Of Afghans Who Helped U.S. RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Jun 2021 -- President Joe Biden has vowed that Afghans who helped the U.S. military will not be left behind as U.S.-led international forces work to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan later this year.
• Fighting Rages In Afghanistan As Army Tries To Retake Ground Lost To Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Jun 2021 -- Security forces are engaged in a fierce battle against the Taliban across Afghanistan as President Ashraf Ghani prepares to meet his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, at the White House later on June 25.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani DoD 25 Jun 2021
• Afghan Leaders to Visit White House, Pentagon DoD News 25 Jun 2021 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, meet with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon today, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said.
• Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III with President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council For National Reconciliation DoD 25 Jun 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of The High Council for National Reconciliation of The Islamic Republic Of Afghanistan
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Meeting with President Ghani and Chairman Abdullah of Afghanistan The White House 25 Jun 2021
• Remarks by President Biden and President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 25 Jun 2021
• Nebraska National Guard assists with wildfire fight Army News 25 Jun 2021 -- At the direction of Governor Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Army National Guard activated two helicopter crews and support personnel to provide additional aerial firefighting capabilities at the request of local authorities in multiple north-central Nebraska counties.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment DoD 25 Jun 2021 -- Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment:
• Acting ASN (EI&E) Todd Schafer Visits Navy Region Southeast and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island US Navy Press Release 25 Jun 2021 -- WASHINGTON -- Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (EI&E) Todd Schafer traveled to Navy and Marine Corps installations from June 21-23.
• DOD Wants Partners to Up Their Cybersecurity Game, Official Says DoD News 25 Jun 2021 -- The Defense Department wants to help its partner contractors, large and small, become better at their own cybersecurity efforts, the deputy assistant of defense for cyber policy said yesterday.
• Nuclear Posture Review, National Defense Strategy Will Be Thoroughly Integrated DoD News 25 Jun 2021 -- A new National Defense Strategy is in the works and is expected to be completed early next year. When delivered, it will provide a new set of goals and priorities for America's defense. The Nuclear Posture Review, or NPR, will come on the coattails of the NDS and will be fully nested within it, said Colin H. Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, Wednesday during a virtual discussion at the 2021 Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference.
• USAF approves beddown of F-22 FTU at JBLE US Air Force 25 Jun 2021 -- The Air Force has signed the Record of Decision approving Joint Base Langley-Eustis as the future home for the F-22 Raptor Formal Training Unit.
• Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group enters 5th Fleet US Navy 25 Jun 2021 -- The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), flagship of the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group (CSG), along with guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, June 25.
• U.S. and France Demonstrate Interoperability in the Caribbean US Navy 25 Jun 2021 -- The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11) executed a bilateral maritime exercise with the French Navy off the coast of Martinique, France, June 23 while operating in the Caribbean Sea.
• Kuwait and U.S. Naval Forces Complete Exercise Eager Defender 21 US Navy 25 Jun 2021 -- The Kuwait Naval Force, Kuwait Coast Guard and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) participated in bilateral maritime exercise Eager Defender 21 in Kuwait and the North Arabian Gulf, June 4-14.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams arrives in Senegal US Navy 25 Jun 2021 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) arrived in Dakar, Senegal for a scheduled port visit, June 21-25, 2021.
• USS Laboon Concludes Black Sea Operations as USS Ross prepares to enter Black Sea for Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 US Navy 25 Jun 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) conducted its regularly scheduled southbound international strait transit, concluding operations in the Black Sea, June 25, 2021.
• U.S.-Canada Permanent Joint Board on Defense Discusses Defense Priorities, NORAD Modernization DoD 25 Jun 2021 -- On June 25, 2021, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Dr. Mara Karlin, hosted the 239th meeting of the U.S.-Canada Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD).
• Leaders Discuss Future Warfighting on an Unpredictable Battlespace DoD News 25 Jun 2021 -- Warfighters will experience a less predictable battlefield in the future, compared to past experience. Therefore, warfighters need to be more comfortable with uncertainty. They need to be more understanding of the strategy underpinning the guidance that they're given, the director of science and technology for Special Operations Forces said.
• U.S., Australian, Japanese militaries complete Exercise Southern Jackaroo USMC News 25 Jun 2021 -- In the heart of the Australian Outback, U.S. Marines, Australian Army soldiers, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers assembled and successfully conducted Exercise Southern Jackaroo.
• Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach completes his mandate - "We must work together to protect our values and the global world order" NATO 25 Jun 2021 -- Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach ends his three-year tenure today, 25 June 2021. Elected in 2017 by the Allied Chiefs of Defence, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, UK Royal Air Force, has led the Military Committee at a time when threats and challenges from both state and non-state actors have created an increasingly unstable global security environment.
• Iranian Naval Passage Through Atlantic Prompts US Concern VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- Two Iranian naval ships that entered the Atlantic earlier this month are traveling north up the west coast of Africa, a top admiral confirmed to VOA. The United States is monitoring the ships' movements from their current location off Senegal amid concerns Iran could be preparing for an arms transfer in the Western Hemisphere.
• Taiwan Coast Guard takes delivery of second missile corvette CNA 25 Jun 2021 -- Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Friday took delivery of a new missile corvette, the Chenggong (成功艦), which will be deployed in eastern Taiwan to protect Taiwan's maritime rights and the interests of local fishermen.
• Australia Delivers Maritime Defence Capability Boost for Papua New Guinea Australia DOD 25 Jun 2021 -- Australia continues to invest in Papua New Guinea's maritime security capability. At the request of Papua New Guinea, Defence has agreed to arm the Papua New Guinea Defence Force's four new Guardian-class Patrol Boats, delivered through the Pacific Maritime Security Program.
• Patrol boat handed to Kiribati Australia DOD 25 Jun 2021 -- In the latest milestone for the Pacific Maritime Security Program, Australia has delivered a new Guardian-class patrol boat to Kiribati.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviews progress of construction of first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier at Kochi; India PIB 25 Jun 2021 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the progress of construction of first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) built by M/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd., at Kochi on June 25, 2021.
• DRDO successfully test fires Enhanced Pinaka Rocket India PIB 25 Jun 2021 -- Continuing the development of Artillery Rocket Systems, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired extended range version of indigenously developed Pinaka rocket from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) on 24th and 25th June 2021 at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• DRDO successfully test fires Enhanced Range 122mm Caliber Rocket India PIB 25 Jun 2021 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired enhanced range versions of indigenously developed 122mm Caliber Rocket from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) on June 25, 2021 at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• Integrated bilateral exercise of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force with US Navy concludes in Indian Ocean Region India PIB 25 Jun 2021 -- The two-day integrated bilateral exercise between Indian and US Forces in the Indian Ocean Region concluded on June 24, 2021. Indian Navy along with Indian Air Force participated with US Navy Carrier Strike Group in the exercise.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with French President Macron US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Briefing With Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood, Acting Director of the Office of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Patrick Worman, And Office of Monetary Affairs Director Susannah Cooper On the Secretary's Upcoming Participation in the Meeting on Syria, The D-ISIS Ministerial, and the G20 US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's Engagements with Tunisian Government Officials and Civil Society Leaders US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, June 25, 2021 The White House 25 Jun 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For June 25, 2021
• Belgian Security Services Firm Agrees to Plead Guilty to Criminal Antitrust Conspiracy Affecting Department of Defense Procurement US Dept. of Justice 25 Jun 2021 -- G4S Secure Solutions NV (G4S), a Belgian security firm, has agreed to plead guilty for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids, allocate customers and fix prices for defense-related security services, including a multimillion-dollar contract issued in 2020 to provide security services to the U.S. Department of Defense for military bases and installations in Belgium. This is the first international resolution obtained by the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF).

Other Conflicts

• 25 June 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Jun 2021
• 'We remain firm in our belief that the way to secure rights for all Syrians is by bringing about a negotiated end to this appalling conflict' UK FCDO 25 Jun 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Roscoe, UK Acting Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Syria
• Syria's last cross-border aid lifeline must stay open, insist UN humanitarians UN News 25 Jun 2021 -- The imminent closure of the last cross-border aid lifeline to northwest Syria must be postponed beyond the 10 July deadline, UN humanitarians said on Friday, noting that no cross-line supplies had reached Idlib from Damascus, in 11 months.
• Syria Faces Humanitarian Catastrophe if Turkish Border Closes VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- U.N. agencies warn of a humanitarian catastrophe if the Turkish border crossing into northwest Syria is closed, preventing aid agencies from delivering life-saving assistance to millions of Syrians displaced by war.
• Syria: 'Gulf of mistrust', complex realities, prevent political progress UN News 25 Jun 2021 -- Progress towards resolving Syria's decade-long war is unlikely, given the 'gulf of mistrust' among parties and complexity of conditions on the ground, the chief UN mediator for the country told the Security Council on Friday, as he urged delegates to unite around elements of resolution 2254 (2015) and called for a new international dialogue to achieve a breakthrough.
• Ten Killed as Militia Repels Surprise Attack by Junta Troops in Myanmar's Sagaing Region Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- At least 10 people were killed when troops loyal to Myanmar's junta attacked a base used to assist refugees in northwestern Sagaing region, but were outmaneuvered by militiamen using guerrilla tactics to overcome a deficit in firepower, sources said Friday.
• Five Pakistani Soldiers Killed In Balochistan Ambush RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Jun 2021 -- The Pakistani military says five members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps have been killed in an ambush in the volatile southwestern province of Balochistan.
• Killing of Doctors Without Borders Staff in Tigray US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021
• Three Aid Workers Murdered in Ethiopia's Tigray VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- Médecins Sans Frontières said Friday that three aid workers for the organization were found dead near their vehicle in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region.
• Modi Holds Out Prospect of Elections in Kashmir VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi Thursday offered the possibility of elections in Indian Kashmir, nearly two years after scrapping the region's semi-autonomous status.

News Reports

• Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Advances Its Work on Proliferation Finance, Virtual Assets, Financing of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism, and Financial Flows Linked to Conservation Crime US Treasury 25 Jun 2021 -- Today the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded its fourth virtual plenary since the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The FATF advanced its core work on virtual assets, proliferation finance, digital transformation, and peer member assessments.
• U.S. Sentences Ukrainian Member Of Cybercrime Gang To Seven Years In Prison RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- A Ukrainian hacker has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a notorious cybercrime group that stole credit- and debit-card information from millions of people in the United States and other countries.
• US Vice President Wraps Up Visit to Mexico Border VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up her first trip to the U.S. southern border on Friday, saying the Biden administration had "made progress" in addressing the record number of migrants who have reached the border in recent months.
• Pakistan To Remain On Terrorism Financing Watch List Despite Progress RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Jun 2021 -- A global money-laundering watchdog has urged Pakistan to "continue to make progress" on the one remaining recommendation that still prevents the country from being removed from a so-called gray list of terrorism financing.
• EU Leaders Reject Putin Summit; Defend LGBT Rights VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- On the first day of its summit in Brussels, the 27-member European Union failed to agree to terms for proposed an EU-Russia summit, and sharply debated Hungary's new LGBT legislation.
• In Heated Clash, EU Leaders Tell Hungary To Respect LGBT Rights Or Leave RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- European Union leaders say they have told Hungary to respect LGBT rights or leave the bloc, as tempers flared in a confrontation with Prime Minister Viktor Orban over his country's new law banning schools from using materials that could be seen as promoting homosexuality.
• Kremlin 'Regrets' EU Rejection Of Proposed Summit With Putin RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- The Kremlin has expressed disappointment over the failure of European Union leaders to agree on a proposal by France and Germany to hold an EU-Russia summit with President Vladimir Putin.
• The Week In Russia: Insecurity, Insincerity, And Distrust RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- President Vladimir Putin issued Moscow's latest plea for "cooperation and security from the Atlantic to the Pacific," but provocative pronouncements about Ukraine may undermine the message. Meanwhile, a COVID surge slammed Russia and the Kremlin's crackdown spread deeper into the educational sector.
• Amid Outrage Abroad, Chechen Strongman Kadyrov Lays The Groundwork For A Fourth Term RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- In February 2016, just weeks before the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya was to hold an election for executive-branch head, incumbent leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced on state television that he had had enough.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 25, 2021 PRC MofA 25 Jun 2021
• China's State Council appoints, removes HKSAR officials People's Daily 25 Jun 2021 -- China's State Council announced on Friday it has decided to appoint and remove several officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, in accordance with the HKSAR Basic Law, and based on the nomination and suggestion of HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
• Hong Kong to usher in better future with support of motherland: HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 25 Jun 2021 -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said Thursday that with the support of the motherland, Hong Kong will usher in a better future in different aspects by integrating into the overall development of the country.
• Hong Kong Appoints Former Cops to Top Government Roles 'to Protect National Security' Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced a reshuffle of her cabinet on Friday, placing two ex-cops in key cabinet positions, including the police commissioner who presided over the widespread use of violence against mostly peaceful demonstrators during the 2019 protest movement.
• Countries Comply With China's Efforts to Silence Uyghurs Abroad — Report Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- China's targeting of ethnic Uyghurs beyond its borders to silence dissent has been steadily rising for decades, with at least 28 countries complicit in China's persecution of Uyghurs, according to a new report on the transnational repression of the largely Muslim minority group.
• Removal Crews at Home of Late Chinese Premier Ahead of CCP Centenary Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- Authorities in Beijing have begun moving large numbers of items out of the former residence of late ousted premier Zhao Ziyang ahead of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s centenary celebrations on July 1, RFA has learned.
• China Poised to Help Southeast Asia Recover from Pandemic, Experts Say VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- China is likely to help Southeast Asia recover from the economic shocks of COVID-19 because of its outsized growth and pivotal role in cross-border development, experts said following a regional summit.
• Arms, Iron Ore and Electricity Boost Chinese Influence in Latin America Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- Chinese state-run companies and banks have been investing in electrical utilities in Latin America, generating income for the firms and creating leverage for Beijing to advance its interests in a region sometimes referred to as "America's backyard."
• Chinese Solar Power Firm to Invest $10B in Malaysian Production Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- A solar power company from China has agreed to invest $10 billion in Malaysia over 15 years, as Chinese firms look to Southeast Asia to expand production and avoid "obstacles" put in by Western countries, a business leader said Friday.
• China Pushes Ahead With Clampdown on 'Buxiban' Tutoring Sector Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has announced a crackdown on the U.S.$120 billion private tutoring, or buxiban, industry, in a country where hothousing children to ensure the best shot at a good high school or university has become the norm for middle-class professionals.
• North Koreans Reject Korean War Propaganda Claiming South Struck First Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- Every year in the run up to the anniversary of the June 25, 1950 North Korean invasion of South Korea that started the three-year conflict, residents of the North are bombarded with propaganda that falsely claims it was the South who set off the conflict.
• US Could Quit Iran Nuclear Deal if Talks Do Not Advance VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Friday that the absence of an interim agreement to monitor Iran's nuclear activities could prompt the United States to abandon efforts to rejoin a nuclear deal.
• U.S., France Concerned As Iran Lets UN Atomic Watchdog Deal Expire RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- The UN nuclear watchdog said June 25 that it has not received a response from Iran about extending an interim atomic monitoring agreement, after the United States and France warned that not doing so could imperil talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
• Canadian Report Blames Iranian 'Recklessness' For Downing Ukrainian Passenger Jet RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- An official report by Canadian experts says it has found no evidence that the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane shot down after takeoff from Tehran early last year was "premeditated." Tehran rejected the charge as "baseless and unacceptable."
• Iran's Absentee Voting Events at US Hotels Raise Sanctions, Ethics Questions VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- Iran's apparent use of 20 U.S.-based hotel properties as polling sites for its recent presidential election has raised questions about the hotel owners' compliance with U.S. sanctions and the appropriateness of their involvement in a vote that Washington criticized as neither free nor fair.
• At Least 64 Myanmar Protesters, Two of Them Underage, Sentenced to Death by Military Courts Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- At least 64 Myanmar citizens detained in protests against the country's Feb. 1 military coup have been sentenced to death by junta courts, with the condemned list including two boys below the age of 18, according to sources in the country.
• This Kind of Urban Warfare Will be More Frequent in The Future: Mandalay PDF Member Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- On June 23, junta security forces arrested Bo Tun Tauk Naing, a leader of the People's Defense Force's (PDF's) urban guerrilla warfare unit, in Myanmar's second city Mandalay—home to more than 1.7 million people. A member of the Mandalay PDF who is a close associate of the detained unit chief recently spoke with RFA's Myanmar Service on condition of anonymity about his arrest and the status of the local resistance, which a day earlier clashed with the junta troops in the city for the first time since the military orchestrated a February coup, prompting widespread protests.
• Belarusian Lawmakers Approve First Reading Of Bill Likely To Force Delay Of Elections, Referendum RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- Lawmakers in Belarus have approved the first reading of a bill amending the constitution to introduce a single voting day for all elections, a move that is likely to delay local elections and a referendum promised by authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• How Top Officials, Relatives Scooped Up Kazakhstan's Higher-Education Sector RFE/RL 25 Jun 2021 -- Most of Kazakhstan's 130 colleges and universities are owned either by high-level officials or their relatives, an investigation by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service has revealed.
• Mekong River Region Economic Zones Draw Illegal Actors — Report Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- Like more than 100 areas in the Mekong River region earmarked as development zones, the Yatai Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Myanmar was promoted as a way to spur economic growth and deliver material benefits to the local community.
• Chinese Casino and Resort in Laos Resumes Work on Controversial Airport Radio Free Asia 25 Jun 2021 -- The crime-linked Chinese owner of a large casino and resort in northwestern Laos' Bokeo province has resumed construction on an airport—a project shelved in 2017 due to local opposition—in a bid to bring more tourists into his large resort and special economic zone, sources say.
• U.S.-EU-Canada: Joint Statement on Venezuela US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021 -- The following statement was released by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau.
• Building a Stronger Democracy in Ethiopia US Dept. of State 25 Jun 2021 -- "Democracy flourishes when institutions of governance are inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsive to its people. With that immutable fact in mind, the United States commends those Ethiopians who exercised their right to vote on June 21."
• South Sudan VP: Government Lost $4 Billion in Uncollected Oil Taxes VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- South Sudan's government says it has lost more than $4 billion in unpaid oil taxes since the country gained its independence a decade ago.
• Modern Terminal Opens at Somaliland's Berbera Port VOA 25 Jun 2021 -- A new container terminal has opened at Berbera in the breakaway region of Somaliland, as part of an effort to build a major regional trade hub.