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Defense Policy / Programs

• DAF COVID-19 Statistics - March 22, 2022 US Air Force 22 Mar 2022
• DoD Announces DACOWITS Restoration and New Leadership Cadre DoD 22 Mar 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has appointed Ms. Shelly O'Neill Stoneman to serve as the new Chair of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) and lead its restoration. Stoneman is a seasoned organizational leader and government affairs professional with two decades of executive branch and congressional experience on defense and foreign policy matters.
• DoD Announces the Establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee DoD 22 Mar 2022 -- Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced the establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) which will address and prevent suicide in the military, pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
• US Navy Deploys Carrier Strike Group in Med to Implement Ukraine No-Fly Zone If Biden Gives Order Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- The United States operates 11 carrier strike groups, and has deployed them repeatedly across the globe over the decades in a show of force against mostly smaller, militarily weaker nations. US forces in the Mediterranean operate under the Sixth Fleet - headquartered in Naples, Italy, and have a combined strength of up to 40 ships and 175 aircraft.
• USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) arrive in Copenhagen US Navy 22 Mar 2022 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark for a scheduled port visits to enhance U.S.-Danish relations and build NATO Alliance cohesion, March 21, 2022.
• The United States Highlights Its Commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022 -- The United States Government hosted a virtual visit of ambassadors from each regional group of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council on March 21-22, 2022 to see and discuss U.S. chemical weapons destruction progress at the Department of Defense's Blue Grass Chemical-agent Pilot Plant in Kentucky.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022
• Zelenskiy To Address NATO Summit This Week, Says Report RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address this week's summit of NATO leaders in Brussels, according to a report by Interfax Ukraine.
• Russia Would Only Use Nuclear Weapons if Its Existence Was Threatened, Kremlin Says Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Russia would only use nuclear weapons if it determined its existence as a nation was threatened, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.
• Moscow Slams US Claims on Chemical Weapons in Russia as Malicious Insinuations Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Washington's claims that Russia allegedly can use chemical and biological weapons are nothing but malicious insinuations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
• Russian Military Takes Command of Meridian-M Comms Satellite After Successful Launch Into Orbit Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- The Meridian series of dual-use civilian/military communications satellites began to sent to space in the mid-2000s. In 2019, the first upgraded Meridian-M satellite was deployed.
• US, NATO Believe Belarus Can 'Soon' Join Russia's Military Operation in Ukraine Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- The United States and NATO believe that Belarus could "soon" join Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing officials.
• Foreigners Fighting for Ukraine Elicit Scorn, Ambivalence, Support From Governments VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- The emergence of thousands of foreigners volunteering to fight for Ukraine against Russia's invasion has drawn sharply differing responses from the governments of those pro-Ukraine fighters, some of whom are from Russia itself and its ally Belarus.
• Ukraine War Heightens French, European Concerns Over Russia's Africa Presence VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Less than a decade ago, former French president Francois Hollande received a triumphant welcome — and a fretful camel — during a visit to Mali, where cheering crowds hailed France's advances against a fierce Islamist insurgency.
• US Sending Soviet-Era Air Defense Systems to Ukraine That Were Stored in Alabama for Years - Report Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Following the collapse of the USSR, the US gathered several Soviet missile defense systems which were evaluated by US intelligence professionals and used to train American personnel. As the current situation in Ukraine unfolds, they may return this equipment to the eastern European nation.
• Turkish Defence Ministry Reportedly Warned Ships of Mines Drifting in Black Sea Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- The Turkish Ministry of Defence asked ships to track drifting mines after the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Ukraine had mined approaches to its ports in the Black Sea, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported.
• 115th joint patrol on Mekong River begins PLA Daily 22 Mar 2022 -- Law-enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand joined forces on Tuesday for the start of the 115th Mekong River joint patrol.
• PLA Navy's upgraded J-11B fighter jet joins S.China Sea exercise Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has received delivery of an upgraded version of the J-11B fighter jet, with at least one participating in a recent mock combat exercise over the South China Sea.
• Chinese naval vessels return from Tonga after delivering relief supplies PLA Daily 22 Mar 2022 -- The PLA naval vessels, the amphibious dock landing ship Wuzhishan (Hull 987) and the comprehensive supply ship Chaganhu (Hull 967), ended their mission of transporting disaster relief materials to Tonga and returned to a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province, on the morning of March 21.
• Chinese tracking vessel sails to Pacific Ocean for monitoring missions PLA Daily 22 Mar 2022 -- China's third-generation space tracking ship Yuanwang-5 on Tuesday set sail for the Pacific Ocean from a port in Jiangsu Province for multiple monitoring missions.
• Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement of 14 items worth over Rs 380 crore from iDEX startups/MSMEs for Armed Forces India PIB 22 Mar 2022 -- In a path-breaking initiative, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, on March 22, 2022, cleared the procurement of 14 items worth Rs 380.43 crore from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) startups/MSMEs. These items will be procured by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Defence Acquisition Council accords Acceptance of Necessity for capital acquisition proposals of Armed Forces amounting to Rs 8,357 crore India PIB 22 Mar 2022 -- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in its meeting of 22nd March 2022 held under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition proposals of Armed Forces amounting to Rs 8,357 crore. As an impetus to 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', all of these proposals have been approved under 'Buy (Indian IDDM)' category with focus on indigenous design & development and manufacturing in India.
• UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) ARMY DELEGATION ARRIVES IN INDIA India PIB 22 Mar 2022 -- A delegation of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Army is on a six day visit to India from 21 to 26 Mar 2022. The delegation is visiting Indian Army training establishments and then attend the Inaugural Army to Army Staff Talks (AAST). The aim of the visit is to enhance defence cooperation engagements between the two armies.
• INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT FOR JOINT EXERCISE WITH UZBEKISTAN ARMY DEPARTS FOR YANGIARIK IN UZBEKISTAN India PIB 22 Mar 2022 -- The 3rd edition of joint training exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan armies, EX-DUSTLIK is being conducted at Yangiarik, Uzbekistan from 22 to 31 March 2022. The Indian contingent which comprises of a platoon strength of Grenadiers Regiment departed for the exercise area on 22 March 2022 to join the Uzbekistan Army contingent represented by troops of the North Western Military District. The last edition of DUSTLIK was conducted in Ranikhet (Uttarakhand) in March 2021.
• Two Pakistani Military Pilots Killed In Training Aircraft Crash RFE/RL Gandhara 22 Mar 2022 -- Two Pakistani military pilots were killed when their plane crashed during a training mission near the northwestern city of Peshawar, the country's military said.
• US Has Reportedly Transferred 'Significant Amount' of Patriot Interceptors to Saudi Arabia Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Since the start of the Biden administration, ties between Saudi Arabia and the US have grown increasingly strained, splintering more after the announcement that the US government would no longer support the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen against the Houthi movement.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Polish Foreign Minister Rau US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with French, German, Italian, and UK Counterparts US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with French Foreign Minister Le Drian US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022
• Press Briefing by Deputy Press Secretary Chris Meagher and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, March 22, 2022 The White House 22 Mar 2022
• Department Press Briefing – March 22, 2022 US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 22, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 22 March 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Mar 2022
• Measles Outbreak Adds To Afghanistan's Humanitarian Crisis RFE/RL Gandhara 22 Mar 2022 -- Afghanistan is already mired in the world's worst humanitarian disaster marked by widespread hunger, economic collapse, and the mass displacement of people. Now an extremely contagious viral disease -- measles -- is thriving in the country's weakened state.
• Islamic Bloc Launches Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Islamic countries formally launched Monday a trust fund to help ease the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan where millions of people face hunger and poverty.
• Taiwan says it won't militarize island in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2022 -- Taiwan has no intention of militarizing Taiping Island - the biggest island under its control in the South China Sea - the Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-Cheng said Tuesday.
• US expeditionary mobile base enters S.China Sea for 1st time, sending a worrying signal Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- The USS Miguel Keith expeditionary mobile base, a type of large logistics support and command and control vessel, reportedly entered the South China Sea for the first time on Monday, with Chinese analysts saying on Tuesday that China should pay close attention to this alarming move, as the warship can potentially enable the US military to operate even more extensively in the region.
• Beijing Asks US to Stop 'Sowing Discord, Flexing' As Admiral Talks of South China Sea Build-up Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- On Sunday, US Indo-Pacific Command chief John Aquilino accused China of undertaking "the largest military build-up since the Second World War," and accused Beijing of beefing up three of its artificial islands in the South China Sea with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser equipment, jamming devices and fighter jets.
• Parties imposing siege on Yemen will pay high price: Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf has slammed the United States for encouraging Saudi Arabia to continue its aggression on his country, warning that the member countries of the Saudi-led coalition would pay a high price for their siege of Yemen.
• In act of piracy, Saudi Arabia seizes another fuel ship bound for Yemen's Hudaydah Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- The Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) says the Saudi-led war coalition has confiscated yet another emergency fuel ship bound for the Red Sea port of Hudaydah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis which has been tightly controlled by Saudi Arabia.
• Yemeni army warns of more retaliation as Saudis seize fuel tanker Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- A spokesman for the Yemeni National Oil Company says the Saudi-led coalition has seized another fuel tanker heading for the impoverished nation which is under a crippling blockade of the kingdom.
• US genocide designation seen as key step in accountability for Myanmar's junta Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2022 -- Citizens of Myanmar on Tuesday applauded the Biden administration's recognition of their military's deadly 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya minority as a genocide but questioned its timing and whether it will lead to concrete action against the junta amid ongoing rights abuses in their country.
• Rohingya Muslims Hail US Recognition of Genocide in Myanmar VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Forced to flee ethnic and religious persecution in their own country, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are welcoming the formal recognition by the United States that Myanmar's military regime committed genocide against the Muslim minority.
• Japan Protests Russia's Decision to Quit World War Two Peace Talks VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Japan is protesting Russia's decision to break off negotiations formally ending nearly eight decades of lingering hostilities from World War II because of Tokyo's response over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• Japan Chides Russia For Withdrawing From Treaty Talks Over Tokyo's Stance On Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Japan has slammed Russia for its decision to withdraw from negotiations aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty because of Tokyo's tough stance against Moscow's military action in Ukraine.
• Russia Poised to Make Kuril Islands Preferential Tax Zone, Invites Japanese Investors Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Yury Trutnev, said on Tuesday that the preferential tax zone in the Kuril Islands will be preserved and all investors, including those from Japan, are welcome.
• Japanese PM Blasts Russia's 'Absolutely Unjustified' Decision to Withdraw From Peace Treaty Dialogue Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Russia's decision to withdraw from dialogue with Japan on a peace treaty is unacceptable, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, during hearings in the country's upper house of parliament.
• Mozambique: Thousands continue to flee violence in Cabo Delgado UN News 22 Mar 2022 -- One year after brutal attacks by suspected Al Shabab militants began in northern Mozambique, thousands continue to flee ongoing violence in Cabo Delgado province, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday.
• Armed Attacks in Northern Mozambique Send Thousands Fleeing VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Escalating violence by unidentified armed groups in northern Mozambique's oil-rich Cabo Delgado Province has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing for their lives since the start of the year.
• Dialogue is key to improving stability for Israelis and Palestinians: UK at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 22 Mar 2022 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council Meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestine question

News Reports

• New Mexico Elected Official Guilty of Illegally Entering Capitol on Jan. 6 VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- An elected official from New Mexico has been found guilty of two misdemeanor charges for his role in the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol that allegedly attempted to disrupt certification of the 2020 election results.
• The U.S. and Canada Reestablish the Cross-Border Crime Forum DHS 22 Mar 2022 -- Guided by our shared commitment outlined in President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau's February 2021 Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership to re-establish the Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF), the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, along with Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, David Lametti, and Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, met today in Washington, D.C. to discuss how to enhance collaboration between our two countries to counter cross-border crime and make our communities safer.
• United States and Canada Welcome Negotiations of a CLOUD Act Agreement US Dept. of Justice 22 Mar 2022 -- The United States and Canada have entered into formal negotiations for a bilateral agreement under the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, to enhance the existing robust law enforcement cooperation between the two allies.
• The U.S. and Canada Reestablish the Cross-Border Crime Forum US Dept. of Justice 22 Mar 2022 -- Guided by our shared commitment outlined in President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau's February 2021 Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership to re-establish the Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF), the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, along with Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, David Lametti, and Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, met today in Washington, D.C. to discuss how to enhance collaboration between our two countries to counter cross-border crime and make our communities safer.
• Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Participation in Reestablishing the United States-Canada Cross-Border Crime Forum US Dept. of Justice 22 Mar 2022 -- This afternoon U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, along with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, met in Washington, D.C. with Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, David Lametti and Canada's Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, to reestablish the Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF).
• Readout of CISA Call with Critical Infrastructure Partners on Potential Russian Cyberattacks Against the United States CISA 22 Mar 2022 -- Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency convened a three-hour call with over 13,000 industry stakeholders to provide an update on the potential for Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. homeland and answer questions from a range of stakeholders across the nation.
• Russia rejects Washington's cyberattack claims, says it doesn't engage in banditry like US Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- Russia has dismissed the United States' accusations that Moscow might be preparing to launch cyberattacks against American assets, saying that Moscow does not engage in "banditry."
• Kremlin Rejects Biden's Claim of Looming Russian Cyberattack: We Don't Conduct State-Level Banditry Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- On Monday, President Biden talked up the dangers that Russian "cyber capacity" poses to the United States, and warned that Russia's President Vladimir Putin will be likely to use cyberattacks now that western sanctions over Ukraine have meant that his "back is against the wall".
• Belarus KGB Says Eight Out of 19 Diplomats at Ukraine Embassy Are Spies - Report Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- The Belarussian State Security Committee (KGB) has eliminated a Ukrainian spy network that worked under diplomatic cover, the state-run Belta news agency reported on Tuesday.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with BRICS ambassadors Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 Mar 2022
• Biden Set To Unveil New Russian Sanctions In Meetings With Allies On March 24 RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden will announce a new set of sanctions against Russia this week when he meets with European allies in Brussels, his national-security adviser says.
• Italy Freezes Over $880Mln Worth Assets of Russian Businessmen Under EU Sanctions Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- Italy has frozen more than 800 million euros ($880 million) worth assets of Russian oligarchs currently under EU sanctions, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday.
• What Are the Chances of a Kremlin Coup? VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- With Russia's ground invasion largely stalled and stuttering, a minority view is emerging among some Kremlin watchers that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's days are numbered.
• Transport Ministry Says About One-Tenth Of Russia's Planes Impounded Abroad RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev says 78 Russian-owned airplanes have been seized in foreign countries under international sanctions imposed on Moscow over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
• Memorial Says Russian Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Of Closure Order RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Memorial International, Russia's most venerated human rights groups, says the country's Supreme Court has turned down its appeal of a ruling forcing it to close by claiming it violated the onerous "foreign agent" law, which is increasingly being used to shut down civil-society and media groups.
• Navalny's Team Says Data Links Putin To $700 Million Superyacht RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- The team of jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has published details about a superyacht that they suspect belongs to President Vladimir Putin.
• Navalny Jailed For Nine Years On Charges He Denies RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- A Russian court has found opposition politician Aleksei Navalny guilty of embezzlement and contempt charges and handed him a sentence of nine years as authorities continue to crack down on the Kremlin's most vocal critic and civil society as a whole.
• Moscow Court Sentences Navalny to 9 Years in Prison in Fraud, Contempt of Court Case Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- A Moscow district court has sentenced jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny to nine years in a strict-regime penal colony in a criminal case of fraud and contempt of court, judge Margarita Kotova said on Tuesday.
• Aleksey Navalny Unjustly Convicted Again US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2022 -- "We condemn Russian authorities' politically-motivated conviction and sentencing of opposition leader Aleksey Navalny on additional spurious charges to nine more years in a high security prison. This outlandish prison term is a continuation of the Kremlin's years-long assault on Navalny and on his movement for government transparency and accountability."
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the arrest of internet blogger Kirill Fedorov in Latvia Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 Mar 2022
• Russian Lawmakers Approve Broadening Of Law On Spreading 'False Information' RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Russian lawmakers have approved a law criminalizing the distribution of "deliberately false information" about the operations of state entities, including embassies abroad, in an expansion of a much criticized piece of legislation that prompted several media outlets to suspend their Russian operations.
• Russian Instagrammers Face Uncertain Future As Government Tightens Control Over Social Media RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- They come from all over Russia: A fitness instructor from Vladivostok in the Far East; a barbershop owner from Chita near the Chinese border; young influencers from Angarsk and Ulan-Ude in Siberia; a health consultant in Moscow; a photographer from Dagestan in the North Caucasus; and a content expert from Krasnodar in the south.
• Interview: Will The Russian Internet Resemble China's 'Great Firewall'? RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Russia's outlawing of Facebook and Instagram after declaring the activities of the sites' parent company, Meta Platforms, as "extremist" is part of a broadening crackdown on free speech inside the country since Moscow's war with Ukraine started last month.
• Exclusive: New evidence shows US hijacks, monitors users' social media accounts, emails Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- Chinese cybersecurity experts for the first time disclosed a typical weapon used by US National Security Agency (NSA) to target China. The weapon can monitor and hijack users' social media accounts, emails and communication information, the Global Times learned from a leading cybersecurity company exclusively on Tuesday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on March 22, 2022 PRC MofA 22 Mar 2022
• China decries US interference in its affairs, warns of reciprocal sanctions Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- China has condemned the new travel bans, imposed by the United States against Chinese officials over alleged human rights violations, as interference in its internal affair, warning of reciprocal measures.
• China urges US to withdraw visa restrictions on officials or face countermeasures Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- The US statement on restricting visas of Chinese officials for their involvement in "repressive acts" against ethnic and religious minority groups is full of ideological bias and political lies, which China firmly opposes, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday, urging the US to withdraw such sanctions or China will take countermeasures.
• US sanctions Chinese officials for repression of Uyghurs Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2022 -- The U.S. government has imposed new sanctions against Chinese officials over the repression of Uyghurs in China and elsewhere, prompting an angry response from Beijing and a pledge to respond with sanctions of its own.
• Uyghur woman serving 20-year sentence for speaking to Turkish PM 10 years ago Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2022 -- A Uyghur woman who spoke for an hour with a Turkish politician a decade ago during his visit to a famous bazaar in northwestern China's Xinjiang region was arrested for her transgression in 2017 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, her husband said.
• HK police busts underground forces planning for separatist activities Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has busted an underground group seeking to set up a separatist force with weapons, money and electronic communication equipment in an enforcement operation in three districts of the city, reported Hong Kong media.
• Hong Kong's Carrie Lam Could See No-Confidence Vote After SAR Caves to Corporate Anti-Lockdown Lobby Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- An opposition lawmaker in Hong Kong's Legislative Council has threatened to bring a motion of no confidence against Chief Executive Carrie Lam for the government's backing off of COVID-19 restrictions amid a massive new outbreak of the deadly disease.
• China, Pakistan should strengthen coordination on Afghanistan and Ukraine issues: FM Wang Yi Global Times 22 Mar 2022 -- China and Pakistan should strengthen coordination on international and regional issues such as Afghanistan and Ukraine, practice true multilateralism and oppose power politics, bullying and unilateral sanctions, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday at a joint conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad.
• North Korean workers and their manager disappear from Shanghai dormitory Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2022 -- A group of 20 North Korean textile workers who were dispatched to Shanghai to earn foreign currency for the government have disappeared, and Pyongyang authorities suspect they are now on the run as refugees, sources in China told RFA.
• Russia Talks With North Korea Amid Western Outrage Over Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry says Moscow and Pyongyang have discussed developing bilateral ties "in the context of changes taking place in the international arena."
• Iran's second oilfield in Fars begins producing 10,000 bpd Press TV 22 Mar 2022 -- Iran has begun production from the second oilfield in southern Fars province at a rate of 9,000 barrels per day (bpd), the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has said.
• U.S. Says Up To Iran To Make Decisions That Can Revive Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 22 Mar 2022 -- The United States says it is up to Iran to make the hard decisions necessary to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and ease its sanctions-ravaged economy.
• US Deputy Secretary Nuland Urges India to Join Condemnation of Russia's Op in Ukraine Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- India should join other democracies in condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told NDTV.
• President of the European Parliament in Berlin - "The war in Ukraine also marks a turning point for the European Union" Germany - Federal Government 22 Mar 2022 -- Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to Berlin ahead of the European Council meeting this week. The Federal Chancellor explained that both leaders wanted to co-ordinate closely as for Europe what mattered was: "We will only achieve something if all of us - the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Member States - keep pulling together."
• French Government Calls for Calm, Dialogue After Death of Corsican Nationalist Sputnik 22 Mar 2022 -- French Government Spokesman Gabriel Attal on Tuesday urged Corsica to remain calm and promised that investigators will do their job of establishing the circumstances of the death of Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna.
• New Images Help Scientists Unlock Secret of Deep Space Mystery VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- New data from a sophisticated radio telescope in South Africa is helping scientists uncover the secret of one of astronomy's newest mystery objects — faint rings of radio waves called "Odd Radio Circles." ORCs were first revealed by Australia's national science agency.
• Lebanon facing wheat crisis amid Russia-Ukraine conflict: president People's Daily 22 Mar 2022 -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict affected Lebanon's capacity to secure sufficient wheat, urging UN to increase food support for his country, a statement by Lebanon's Presidency reported.
• Somaliland Upbeat Despite Lack of US Recognition VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- The president of Somaliland is wrapping up a U.S. visit without the formal recognition he had sought for the self-declared republic. But he nonetheless is viewing his trip as a success.
• Somalia at Brink of Famine VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Somalia is facing its most severe drought in over three decades, with more than half of the population in dire need of food and water. The U.N. said earlier this month that parts of the country could soon plunge into famine.
• US Sanctions Sudan's Central Police Force VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Sudanese human rights defenders are welcoming the U.S. Treasury Department's imposition of sanctions against Sudan's Central Reserve Police (CRP) for using excessive violence against peaceful protesters. But these activists say the U.S. and other nations should take further measures against the military regime that took power in Sudan last year.
• Uganda's Security Agencies Accused of Torture, Disappearances of Civilians VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Human Rights Watch says Uganda's security agencies are responsible for hundreds of enforced disappearances and torture among civilians. The Ugandan army describes the report as political and without evidence.
• Azerbaijan's Jailing of Opposition Party Leader Highlights Criminalization of Slander VOA 22 Mar 2022 -- Rights activists in Azerbaijan say the government's recent sentencing to prison of an opposition party leader on charges of slander is another sign of how defamation laws are being used against political opponents and civil society activists in the country.