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• U.S. Navy Super Hornet Crashes in Death Valley National Park US Navy Press Release 05 Oct 2021 -- An F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed in Death Valley National Park, California, at approximately 3 p.m. (PDT), October 4. The pilot was treated for minor injuries at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and released later that night.
• Defense Department Awards $25.5 Million Over Three Years for Applied Hypersonics Research DoD 05 Oct 2021 -- The Department of Defense announced today the award of 18 research projects through the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH), with a total value of approximately $25.5 million over three years.
• USS Porter Completes Fleet Operational Sea Training US Navy 05 Oct 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) completed Fleet Operational Sea Training (FOST), Sept. 30, 2021.
• United States Participates in Exercise REP(MUS) 2021 US Navy 05 Oct 2021 -- The world's largest multinational operational experimentation event, combining manned and unmanned systems, recently delivered a series of world firsts as Allied Navies worked together to exploit cutting edge technology in an exercise off the Portuguese coast.
• Exercise Noble Jaguar: Navy-Marine Corps Team Brings Integrated Lethality in the Littorals US Navy 05 Oct 2021 -- The integrated naval exercise demonstrated the ability to connect a network of sensors from across the joint force during expeditionary advanced based operations.
• NAVSUP in Sicily Leverages Refueling Capabilities, Manpower to Support OAW US Navy Press Release 05 Oct 2021 -- NAS SIGONELLA, Italy -- As thousands of Special Immigration Visa (SIV) applicants transited from Afghanistan through Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Italy, and Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, Spain, during Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella (NAVSUP FLCSI) leveraged its logistics support capacities and resources to support the humanitarian effort.
• All DOD Personnel Now Receive Continuous Security Vetting DoD News 05 Oct 2021 -- The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has successfully enrolled all Defense Department service members, civilians and contractors with a security clearance — about 3.6 million people — in its current continuous vetting program.
• New Threats to NATO, Demand Old Solution: Unity, Stoltenberg Says DoD News 05 Oct 2021 -- BY The world faces uncertainty with threats not only from nation states like China and Russia, but from climate change, cyber attacks as well as new terror groups, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a compelling case that the only way to face these threats is together.
• NATO Secretary General visits Washington D.C. NATO 05 Oct 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Washington D.C. to meet senior United States officials and lawmakers. On Monday (4 October 2021), Mr. Stoltenberg met President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss how to further strengthen the transatlantic bond and prepare the NATO Summit in Madrid next year. He also met Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken by phone.
• NATO Chief Warns Alliance Should Not Be Underestimated VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- NATO's top official is signaling that it would be a mistake to see the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan or simmering tensions between France and the United States as a weakening of the trans-Atlantic alliance.
• Why Chinese Weapons Exports Are Declining Despite Loyal Clientele VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- China's global market share of arms exports is falling as its weapons remain largely untested in combat and come with hidden costs, including political ones, experts say.
• FIFTH EDITION OF JAPAN-INDIA BILATERAL MARITIME EXERCISE 'JIMEX' India PIB 05 Oct 2021 -- The fifth edition of India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise, JIMEX, between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), will be held in Arabian Sea from 06 to 08 October 2021. JIMEX series of exercises commenced in January 2012 with special focus on maritime security cooperation. The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in September 2020.
• 8th EDITION OF INDIA – SRI LANKA JOINT "EXERCISE MITRA SHAKTI COMMENCES AT AMPARA SRI LANKA India PIB 05 Oct 2021 -- The 8th edition of India-Sri Lanka bilateral joint exercise Mitra Shakti commenced today at the Combat Training School, Ampara in Sri Lanka. The two week long exercise is being conducted from 04 to 15 October 2021.
• India Set to Take Delivery of S-400 Order by December As China Plants Air Force At LAC: IAF Chief Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) at present has 30 fighter squadrons against an authorised strength of 42 to fend off a perceived threat from China and Pakistan. Since June last year, the force has had to shift its asset deployment strategy after tensions with China flared up during the Galwan face-off.
• Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself: President Tsai CNA 05 Oct 2021 -- President Tsai Ing-wen has emphasized that Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself if its democracy is threatened, alluding to recent actions taken by China, in an article published Tuesday in the U.S. international relations outlet Foreign Affairs.
• Taiwan's Tsai Warns of 'Catastrophic Consequences' of Chinese Takeover as PLA Planes Buzz Island Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- The Biden administration sparked an instant crisis with Beijing by inviting Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the White House for the president-elect's inauguration in January. The People's Republic considers the island an inseparable part of China destined for eventual peaceful reunification with the mainland.
• U.S. Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conduct CODEP U.S. Pacific Fleet 05 Oct 2021 -- USS Port Royal (CG 73), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and JMSDF training ship JS Kashima (TV 3508) conducted drills in the Hawaiian Islands Operating Area, Oct. 4.
• Turkey to seek compensation for removal from US-led fighter jet program Press TV 01 Oct 2021 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will seek compensation for its removal from a US-led stealth fighter jet program, which took place over Ankara's purchase of advanced S-400 missile defense systems from Russia.
• Carrier Strike Group Looks Forward to a Busy Autumn in Indo-Pacific and Middle East UK MOD 05 Oct 2021 -- With four months of activity alongside allies and partners successfully completed, the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, is preparing for a series of engagements with Singapore, India and Oman this autumn.
• HMS Trent deploys to West Africa to support maritime security UK MOD 05 Oct 2021 -- The patrol ship will visit Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia and Cape Verde, conducting patrols and helping partner navies to build capacity through training.
• AUKUS deal was a 'wake-up call' for EU: Borrell Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says the AUKUS alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States was a "wake-up call" for the EU and carried significant implications for the future of relations with Washington.
• Blinken in France to Revitalize Transatlantic Alliance VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed potential areas of cooperation Tuesday, as Blinken visited Paris to try to improve relations between the two allies following a dispute about a security partnership among the United States, Britain and Australia.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with French Diplomatic Advisor Emmanuel Bonne US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with French Foreign Minister Le Drian US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Anne-Sophie Lapix of France 2 TV The White House 05 Oct 2021
• Top US diplomat meets France's Macron to heal rift amid submarine row Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, has attempted to mend bilateral relations, which were soured after the United States pushed Paris aside and signed a lucrative multi-billion-dollar nuclear deal with Australia for submarines last month.
• Blinken Tells Macron US Supports European Defence Initiatives in First Talks Since Submarine Crisis Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- Last month, Washington, London and Canberra announced the creation of a new security pact known as 'AUKUS', with the US and the UK promising Australia American and British nuclear submarine reactor technology in exchange for closer security cooperation. The deal ended up torpedoing a French-Australian submarine contract worth up to $66 billion.
• Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure The White House 05 Oct 2021
• Readout from NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Leading a Meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group The White House 05 Oct 2021
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Senior Administration Official Trip to Europe The White House 05 Oct 2021
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Lansing, MI The White House 05 Oct 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken at OECD Opening and Keynote Address US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Thani US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 5, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 5 October 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Oct 2021
• Taliban 'Removing' Uyghur Militants From Afghanistan's Border With China RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- The Taliban has removed Uyghur militants from an area near Afghanistan's border with China, sources in the region told RFE/RL, in a move that analysts say signals growing coordination between Beijing and the Afghan militant group.
• British Envoy Meets With Taliban Leaders To Discuss Humanitarian Crisis, Treatment Of Women RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- A British special envoy has met with Taliban leaders in Kabul to discuss the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the treatment of women and girls, and ways to prevent the war-wracked country from becoming a breeding ground for terrorism.
• Macron Wants G20 To Pressure Taliban On Women's Rights RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants the Group of 20 (G20) major economies to set conditions for recognizing the Taliban-led government, including ensuring women's and girls' rights are protected.
• Afghanistan In Focus During Turkmen, Uzbek Leaders' Tashkent Meeting RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- Visiting Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoev, discussed the situation in Afghanistan when the two leaders met in Tashkent on October 5.
• Afghan Refugee Arrivals To U.S. Resume After Measles Vaccination Campaign RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- Afghan refugees will be arriving again in the United States later this week after a vaccination campaign against measles following an outbreak that paused transfers from staging areas in Europe and the Middle East.
• Amnesty Says Taliban 'Executed' 13 Ethnic Hazaras After Taking Control Of Kabul RFE/RL Gandhara 05 Oct 2021 -- Amnesty International says Taliban forces unlawfully killed 13 ethnic Hazaras, including a 17-year-old girl, two weeks after the hard-line Islamist group toppled the internationally recognized government in Kabul in mid-August.
• Iran delivers fifth shipment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- Iran has delivered a fifth shipment of humanitarian aid for the Afghan people to the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan.
• UK Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghanistan Meets With Taliban, Foreign Office Says Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- UK Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghan Transition Sir Simon Gass and the charge d'affaires of the UK mission in Afghanistan, Martin Longden, met with representatives of the Taliban* movement on Tuesday, the UK Foreign Office said.
• Half of Afghanistan's under-5s expected to suffer acute malnutrition UN News 05 Oct 2021 -- An estimated 3.2 million Afghan children under five, are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year, UN agencies warned on Tuesday, adding that without immediate treatment, at least a million are at risk of dying.
• Taliban Accused of Killing 13 Ethnic Hazara Afghans VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- The international rights advocacy group Amnesty International has accused Afghanistan's ruling Taliban of unlawfully killing 13 members of the ethnic Hazara minority community on August 30, two weeks after the Islamist group seized control of the war-ravaged country.
• Chinese Survey Ship Reenters Indonesian Waters After Week of Retreat Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- The Chinese survey ship that had been criss-crossing the North Natuna Sea is back in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after a week's retreat, ship tracking data shows.
• Yemen parliament appeals to UNSC to stop Saudi-led coalition's carnage in Sa'ada, Ma'rib Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- The Yemeni parliament has denounced the international community's silence on atrocities being committed by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies against Yemeni children, calling on the UN Security Council and other world bodies to take action to stop the violence, especially in the strategic province of Sa'ada and Ma'rib, where dozens of airstrikes are carried out on a daily basis.
• Syria, Russia slam politicization of Syrian chemical file Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- Syria and Russia have slammed continued politicization of the Arab country's chemical file by certain countries, maintaining that the Damascus government has honored its commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention, contrary to the claims made by Western states and their allies.
• UN Human Rights Council 48: UK statement for the interactive dialogue with the the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Ukraine UK FCDO 05 Oct 2021 -- UK International Ambassador for Human Rights Rita French gave a statement outlining the UK's concerns about the welfare of at least 118 Ukrainian political prisoners currently held by Russia.
• Pentagon Warns Against Deal Bringing Russian Mercenaries to Mali VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- Add U.S. military officials to the crescendo of voices warning Mali's interim government against brokering any deal to use mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group to help with security and counterterrorism.
• Violence, aid access continues to obstruct humanitarian effort in DR Congo UN News 05 Oct 2021 -- Violence and access constraints in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to hamper humanitarian operations in a context where one in three people need assistance, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
• UN raises alarm about hunger, food insecurity in DR Congo Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- The United Nations has sounded the alarm over hunger, food insecurity and recurring epidemics in the violence-hit Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• UN Human Rights Council 48: UK statement for the interactive dialogue on the DRC with the High Commissioner on the Kasai region. UK FCDO 05 Oct 2021 -- UK Ambassador to the UN and WTO in Geneva Simon Manley gave this statement thanking the High Commissioner, the United Nations Joint Office for Human Rights and the International Team of Experts on the Kasai region for their report.
• China Pushes New Plan For Tibetan Buddhist Study in Chinese Only Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and study centers must begin to translate classroom texts from Tibetan into Mandarin Chinese, China's "common language," according to instructions given at a conference held last month in Qinghai, Tibetan sources said.
• Tigray: Food aid reaches Afar and Amhara, but situation still 'dire' UN News 05 Oct 2021 -- The first round of food distributions to people in Afar and Amhara regions impacted by the spread of the conflict in northern Ethiopia has been completed, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
• UN Security Council to Discuss Ethiopia's Expulsion of Aid Officials VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will brief the Security Council on Wednesday regarding Ethiopia's recent expulsion of seven senior U.N. aid officials.
• Food Shortages Increasing as Conflict Spreads in Northern Ethiopia VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- The World Food Program warns food insecurity and hunger are rising in northern Ethiopia as the conflict in Tigray spills over into neighboring regions.
• UNICEF: Mozambique Insurgents Recruiting Children to Fight in Cabo Delgado VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- The U.N. Children's Fund reports that Islamist insurgents are recruiting young children to fight in northern Mozambique's volatile, oil-rich province of Cabo Delgado.
• Children 'indoctrinated' to fight for insurgents in Mozambique: UNICEF UN News 05 Oct 2021 -- In northern Mozambique, worrying reports emerged on Tuesday that children as young as five have been shown how to handle weapons and indoctrinated to fight with insurgents.
• Dozens Dead in South Sudan Intercommunal Fighting VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- At least 36 people were killed in clashes between four communities in South Sudan over the weekend, according to Warrap state officials.

News Reports

• EU Looking Into Complaints That Russia Is Pushing Up Gas Prices RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- The European Commission is looking into complaints that Gazprom is using its position as a major supplier to propel gas prices, the European Union's energy policy chief said.
• U.S. Senators Urge Biden To Boost Staffing At Embassy In Moscow To Reach Diplomatic 'Parity' RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged President Joe Biden to increase staffing at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and to expel Russian diplomats from Washington if Moscow doesn't cooperate.
• West Demands Answers From Russia Over Navalny Poisoning At Chemical Weapons Watchdog RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- A group of 45 countries including the United States, Britain, and Germany have demanded at the global chemical weapons watchdog that Russia provide answers about the poisoning of jailed opposition figure Aleksei Navalny.
• China's UN envoy refutes US' lies concerning China, urges US not to repeat mistakes Global Times 05 Oct 2021 -- China's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) on Monday slammed the US' groundless comments on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet and called on the US to put aside its arrogance and prejudice.
• US to Have 'Frank' Discussions with China About Trade VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- The top United States trade negotiator said China is failing to live up to its trade commitments from last year and that Washington would soon have "frank conversations" with Beijing.
• Biden's National Security Adviser to Meet With Ranking Chinese Diplomat VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet in Switzerland this week with a ranking Chinese diplomat, the White House said Tuesday.
• US Senate intel committee warns of China's threats in tech sector Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- Some US senators are warning of what they describe as threats posed by China in the technologial sector.
• Former Hong Kong Leaders Concealed Wealth Offshore: Pandora Papers Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Former Hong Kong leaders Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying were named among hundreds of public officials in 91 jurisdictions around the world known to be concealing assets in a worldwide web of secret financial dealings by the global elite.
• Interview: 'The Current Situation of The Uyghurs Is Very Serious,' Says Top Turkey Adviser Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Turkey has been one of the most hospitable countries to Uyghurs, with whom Turks share ethnic, religious, and linguistic connections. Turkey's government has offered Uyghurs a safe place to live outside northwestern China's Xinjiang region. About 50,000 Uyghurs are believed to live in Turkey — the largest Uyghur diaspora outside Central Asia.
• China Holds Thousands Annually in Incommunicado Detention to Get 'Confessions' Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) locks up thousands of people annually as part of a system of state-sanctioned kidnapping targeting peaceful dissidents, a rights group said on Tuesday.
• U.S. voices concern over China's incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 05 Oct 2021 -- The White House has called out China's "provocative military activity" near Taiwan following its recent deployment of a record number of military aircraft in Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
• French senators to arrive in Taiwan Wednesday for 5-day visit: MOFA CNA 05 Oct 2021 -- A delegation of French senators led by Alain Richard, head of the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, will arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday on a five-day visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced on Tuesday.
• Eric Chu stresses unity as he takes over leadership of KMT CNA 05 Oct 2021 -- New Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) stressed unity at a handover ceremony for the party's new leader at its headquarters Tuesday, vowing to prepare the party for political combat and bring alienated members back into the fold.
• China calls on US to withdraw support for separatist forces in Chinese Taipei Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- China has called on the United States to withdraw support for anti-Beijing separatist forces in Chinese Taipei.
• North Korea Hints It's Ready to Talk, Just Not With the US VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- After nearly two years of international isolation worsened by a severe pandemic lockdown, North Korea is hinting it may finally be ready for dialogue — just not with the United States.
• Rodong Sinmun Calls for Thoroughly Studying Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un's Historic Policy Speech KCNA 05 Oct 2021 -- The historic policy speech the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made at the 5th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly serves as a clear-cut path for hastening a fresh victory in socialist construction, breaking through manifold challenges and ordeals, says Rodong Sinmun in an editorial on Tuesday.
• North Korea Exposes Hoarding Among Merchants to Force 'Voluntary' Donations Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Authorities in North Korea are naming and shaming merchants accused of profiteering from scarce goods to get them to "volunteer" to donate large amounts of money to the government, sources in the country told RFA.
• Azerbaijan Shuts Office, Mosque Linked To Iranian Supreme Leader Amid Tensions RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- Azerbaijan has closed a mosque and an office linked to Iran's supreme leader in Baku just days after Tehran held military maneuvers close to the two countries' common border.
• FM Spox: We will return to Vienna as soon as our internal review process is concluded IRNA 05 Oct 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in a message referred to his interview with France24, saying: "We will return to Vienna as soon as our internal review process is concluded."
• Russian Envoy to Vienna Says No Reason to Think Tehran Unwilling to Continue JCPOA Talks Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- Russia has no reason to think that Iran does not want to continue negotiations on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and believes Tehran will return to the negotiating table in due course, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Tuesday.
• 'We Are Going to Get Back to Vienna': Iran's FM Says JCPOA Talks to Resume by 'Early November' Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- A day after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian revealed Tehran was preparing for a seventh round of talks with the United States and other members of the 2015 nuclear deal about restoring the agreement, his deputy has said they could return by early November.
• Interview: Junta To Impose Strict Limits on ASEAN Envoy's Access in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun was the spokesman for Myanmar's military before it overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1 on unproven clams of electoral fraud, and he serves is the spokesman for the junta that controls the Southeast Asian country of 54 million people. He spoke to RFA's Myanmar Service on Tuesday about an expected visit to the country by an envoy for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and laid out strict limits on whom the emissary would be allowed to meet. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
• France warns UK over fishing dispute: Bilateral cooperation at risk Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- France has warned the UK over its failure to provide sufficient fishing licenses to French fishers, calling for the EU to adopt a tougher stance against the UK and raising the alarm that bilateral cooperation could be at risk.
• European Council Opens Negotiations With UK on Gibraltar Sputnik 05 Oct 2021 -- The European Commission will begin negotiations with the United Kingdom on working out an agreement on Gibraltar, whose geography as a British overseas territory and headland on Spain's south coast, prevented it from being included in the 2020 bilateral Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the European Council said on Tuesday.
• Algeria dismisses Macron's 'offensive' remarks amid escalating row with France Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- Algeria's prime minister says his "great" nation will not be undermined by French President Emmanuel Macron's "offensive" remarks about its history.
• Venezuela opens border with Colombia after more than two years Press TV 05 Oct 2021 -- Venezuela says it will reopen its border with Colombia, after more than two years of closure, in an effort to "turn the page" in trade relations with Bogota.
• Instead Of A Hero's Welcome, Georgian Ex-President Saakashvili Faces Years In Prison RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- The crowd was probably smaller than Mikheil Saakashvili would have hoped. On the evening of October 4, hundreds, not thousands, of people gathered outside a prison in Georgia to demand the release of the country's notorious former president.
• Romania's Center-Right Government Toppled By Parliament In Overwhelming No-Confidence Vote RFE/RL 05 Oct 2021 -- Romanian lawmakers from across the political spectrum have voted overwhelmingly to topple Prime Minister Florin Citu's center-right minority government in a no-confidence vote.
• South Sudan Lawmaker Demands Press Curb Reporting on Parliament VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- South Sudan media rights groups condemned comments by a key parliament member who said that news organizations could have their licenses revoked if they report on parliamentary expenditures — including lawmaker salaries — without prior authorization from the speaker.
• At Midterm, Sierra Leone President Vows to Continue Reforms VOA 05 Oct 2021 -- With two years left in his term, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio told Voice of America that expanding political freedoms, improving education, holding past leaders accountable for corruption, and promoting gender equality are his administration's priorities.