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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US Nabs Rising Islamic State Official in Syria Raid VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- U.S. helicopters swooped into the northwestern Syrian countryside near the city of Jarablus under cover of darkness and, despite reports of heavy gunfire, took off again with a rising Islamic State leader in custody, striking the latest blow against the terror organization.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Logistics Agreement Will Facilitate Aid in Western Hemisphere, Generals Say DoD News 16 Jun 2022 -- U.S. Transportation Command commander Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and U.S. Southern Command commander Army Gen. Laura Richardson yesterday signed a charter for a regional "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Logistics Handbook for the Western Hemisphere."
• III MEF Marines in Okinawa complete ACMEX USMC News 16 Jun 2022 -- U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 3rd Marine Division, and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing conducted an exercise to test their ability to rapidly mobilize, respond, and assist in crisis scenarios throughout the Indo-Pacific Command's area of operations, June 8-9, 2022.
• First in-air refueling between KC-46, AFSOC CV-22 US Air Force 16 Jun 2022 -- The 20th Special Operations Squadron and 349th Air Refueling Squadron, assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, brought a CV-22 Osprey and KC-46 Pegasus together for in-air refueling training over Cannon AFB early June. The flight was the first time a KC-46 refueled an Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22.
• African Lion 22 begins, runs June 6-30 in Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Ghana US Navy 16 Jun 2022 -- African Lion is U.S. Africa Command's premier annual exercise, involving more than 7,500 service members from June 6 - 30.
• FRCE moves into future with new helicopter blade balancing system US Navy 16 Jun 2022 -- Rotor blades for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter that arrive for rework at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) will be balanced on a new system that will save about $18 million by eliminating the need for building a new testing facility.
• New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to Africa, Kuwait Army News 16 Jun 2022 -- Almost 1,400 New York Army National Guard Soldiers are deploying to East Africa and Kuwait in the largest mobilization of New York National Guard forces in more than a decade.
• Georgia Army Guard's 48th IBCT Participates in Combat Training Army News 16 Jun 2022 -- The Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is participating in the Exportable Combat Training Capability June 14-26.
• Louisiana Guard Participates in Emergency Medicine Exercise Army News 16 Jun 2022 -- Louisiana National Guard Soldiers with the 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion and Detachment 1, D Company, 2-151st Aviation Regiment, provided aerial medevac support for a joint emergency medicine exercise June 6-10.
• Valiant Shield 2022 Draws to a Close US Navy 16 Jun 2022 -- The ninth iteration of exercise Valiant Shield concluded June 17, 2022, following 12 days of joint operations at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace.
• U.S. 2nd Fleet Commander Embarks George H.W. Bush during COMPTUEX US Navy 16 Jun 2022 -- Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet and Joint Force Command Norfolk, embarked the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), June 8-10.
• U.S. Navy Exercises Option for Third Constellation Class Frigate US Navy Press Release 16 Jun 2022 -- Today the Navy has exercised the second option for the Constellation Class Frigate program, the USS Chesapeake (FFG 64).
• NATO Deputy Secretary General stresses importance of resilience at Prespa Forum Dialogue NATO 16 Jun 2022 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană delivered a virtual address to the second edition of the Prespa Forum Dialogue on Friday (17 June 2022), underlining the need to "prepare for a world where authoritarian regimes use any means to test our resilience and challenge our democratic values and our way of life".
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds a Press Conference at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium DoD 16 Jun 2022
• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Opening Remarks at NATO Defense Ministerial, June 16, 2022 DoD 16 Jun 2022
• NATO Defense Leaders Set Stage for Alliance Decisions at Madrid Summit DoD News 16 Jun 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III joined 29 other NATO defense ministers in Brussels to set the stage for the alliance's Madrid Summit that will start June 29.
• NATO Defence Ministers lay the ground for the Madrid Summit NATO 16 Jun 2022 -- NATO Defence Ministers concluded two days of preparations for the upcoming Madrid Summit on Thursday (16 June 2022).
• Short remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin NATO 16 Jun 2022
• NATO mulls pre-assigned forces for eastern flank members People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- Specific forces could be pre-assigned to specific countries on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to reinforce the alliance's deterrence and defense in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said here on Wednesday.
• Ukraine asks for more weapons to halt Russian advances Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- Ukraine has pleaded urgently for more weapons in a bid to resist Russian advances in the south and the east fronts, as European leaders are expected to travel to the capital, Kiev.
• U.S. to provide 1-bln-USD additional security assistance to Ukraine People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that his country is providing Ukraine with a package of additional security assistance worth 1 billion U.S. dollars, as well as 225 million dollars' worth of humanitarian assistance.
• China Claims New Technical Tool; Analysts Suspect Dual Military Use VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- China is showing off new sea-based technology as it seeks to assert its dominance in the Pacific, analysts say.
• Taiwan can roll out 72 indigenous armored vehicles per year: maker CNA 16 Jun 2022 -- Taiwan's Armaments Bureau said Thursday that its manufacturing plant in Nantou County has the capacity to produce 72 indigenous armored vehicles per year -- the model known as the CM-34 Clouded Leopard.
• Taiwan military officers attend U.S.-Japan security forum in Tokyo CNA 16 Jun 2022 -- A delegation of four Taiwanese military officers attended a multilateral security forum hosted jointly by the United States and Japan that wrapped up in Tokyo on Thursday, the first time since 2019 that Taiwan has had a presence at the forum.
• Taiwan Has Potential to 'Attack Beijing' With Cruise Missiles, Lawmaker Says Amid Simmering Tensions Sputnik 16 Jun 2022 -- Late last week, Beijing made it clear that if anyone "dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese Army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost".
• Eyes in the sky for Exercise Vigilant Scimitar Australia DOD 16 Jun 2022 -- The Royal Australian Air Force's No. 44 Wing deployed a mobile air operations team, including a transportable air operations tower, to provide safe integration of military and civil flying operations during Exercise Vigilant Scimitar 2022.
• Today's forecast: steel rain on Exercise Barce Australia DOD 16 Jun 2022 -- Gunners from the 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, sent an abundance of munitions down range during Exercise Barce, with the gun batteries honing small team skills to prosecute targets quickly.
• Shangri-La Dialogue: New ideas for securing regional stability Canada 16 Jun 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Rinkevics US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Greenland Prime Minister Egede and Foreign Minister Motzfeldt US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2022
• Department Press Briefing - June 16, 2022 US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For June 16, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 16 June 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Jun 2022
• UN: Address by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell to the UN Security Council European External Action Service (EEAS) 16 Jun 2022 -- Check against delivery!
• UN: Record Numbers Displaced by War, Persecution VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- A record 89.3 million people had been driven from their homes by war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuse by the end of 2021, up 8% from the previous year, according to the U.N. refugee agency's annual Global Trends report.
• More than 100 million now forcibly displaced: UNHCR report UN News 16 Jun 2022 -- A staggering 100 million people have now been forced to flee their homes globally, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday, highlighting worldwide food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan as leading causes.
• UN Says Refugee Levels Hit New Record In 2021, Trend To Continue RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Jun 2022 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says the number of people forced to flee their homes in 2021 hit its highest level since records began as the speed and scale of forced displacement outpaces solutions for refugees.
• UNHCR: Global displacement hits another record, capping decade-long rising trend UNHCR 16 Jun 2022 -- The number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began, a trend that can be only reversed by a new, concerted push towards peacemaking, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said today.
• Over 89mn people displaced in 2021, new records on horizon: UNHCR Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- The number of people displaced worldwide passed a record 89 million last year, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says, warning that the intensification of a global food security crisis exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict could further increase that number.
• Urban warfare needs new curbs on explosive weapons, urge humanitarians UN News 16 Jun 2022 -- A UN-partnered bid to address the use of explosive weapons in towns and cities took a further step forward on Thursday, as Member States prepared to gather in Geneva to examine a concrete new plan of action.
• Turkey Deports Thousands to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Turkey is deporting thousands of Afghans despite an international outcry about the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been accused of human rights violations.
• Outgoing UN Envoy Laments Taliban Curbs on Rights of Afghan Women, Schoolgirls VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- The United Nations envoy for Afghanistan in her farewell message Thursday expressed sorrow over the Islamist Taliban's "extreme policies" curtailing women's rights, press freedoms and inclusive political representation.
• One Certainty For Afghans: The Taliban And Taxes RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Jun 2022 -- Afghans are struggling to make ends meet amid an economic crisis that has disrupted basic services, left them with rising costs and dim employment prospects, and battered the health and financial sectors. But the country's Taliban leaders, limited to domestic revenue to fund its first annual budget, have found ways to squeeze citizens even more.
• UN Human Rights Council 50: UK statement during Interactive Dialogue on Afghanistan UK FCDO 16 Jun 2022 -- The UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, delivered a statement on behalf of the UK during the Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on Afghanistan.
• Saudi-led coalition seizes another Yemeni fuel tanker in violation of truce Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- The Saudi-led coalition has seized yet another Yemeni fuel tanker with thousands of tons of fuel on board, the second in less than 24 hours, violating the UN-brokered ceasefire once more.
• Three people killed as troops target villages in Chin State Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- Three people died Thursday after junta forces fired artillery shells at a farm in Mui Tui village in Chin State's Mindat township, residents told RFA.
• Cameroon, Central African Republic Agree to Demarcate Border VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Cameroon and the Central African Republic have agreed to demarcate several hundred kilometers of their shared border. The countries have have competing claims to villages and towns along the porous, undefined border. The two sides also vowed joint efforts to stop violence along the border, where Central African rebels have been hiding and launching raids for supplies.

News Reports

• AIVD disrupts activities of Russian intelligence officer targeting the International Criminal Court AIVD 16 Jun 2022 -- The AIVD prevented a Russian intelligence officer from gaining access as an intern to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The person in question works for the Russian Military Intelligence Service GRU, but he used a Brazilian cover identity to travel from Brazil to the Netherlands.
• Trump Repeatedly Implored Pence to Upend 2020 Election Outcome, Witnesses Testify VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- The panel of House lawmakers investigating the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol last year heard testimony Thursday that former President Donald Trump repeatedly pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to thwart Congress from certifying that Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
• Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Election Official US Dept. of Justice 16 Jun 2022 -- A Nebraska man pleaded guilty today to making multiple threatening posts on an Instagram page associated with an election official.
• United States and EU Foster Cooperation Against Ransomware Attacks US Dept. of Justice 16 Jun 2022 -- Ransomware has become a global problem that requires cooperation on a worldwide level. Judicial experts and practitioners from the United States and the European Union participated in a two-day workshop in The Hague organized by the U.S. Department of Justice and Eurojust. The event aimed to share best practices and enhance collaboration in confronting ransomware attacks.
• Alleged Gangster Disciples Members Indicted for Murder, Federal Racketeering Charges US Dept. of Justice 16 Jun 2022 -- A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Georgia returned an indictment yesterday charging five alleged members of the Gangster Disciples with murder and racketeering related to the alleged murder of three people, as well as various other offenses including drug trafficking and obstruction of justice.
• Disinformation: Commission welcomes the new stronger and more comprehensive Code of Practice on disinformation European Commission 16 Jun 2022 -- Today, Commission welcomes the publication of the strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation. The 34 signatories, such as platforms, tech companies and civil society followed the 2021 Commission Guidance and took into account the lessons learnt from the COVID19 crisis and Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.
• Questions and Answers: Strengthened Code of Practice on disinformation European Commission 16 Jun 2022 -- Since the first Code was published in 2018, the often complex and sophisticated phenomenon of disinformation has continued to evolve rapidly, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
• Former University of Arkansas Professor Sentenced to a Year and a Day for Lying to Federal Agents About Patents in China US Dept. of Justice 16 Jun 2022 -- An Arkansas man and former University of Arkansas professor was sentenced today to 12 months and a day in prison followed by one year of supervised release on one count of making a false statement to the FBI about the existence of patents for his inventions in the People's Republic of China (PRC).
• WHO calls for "genuine, unselfish" collaboration against monkeypox People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- Governments, health partners and civil society need to act together with urgency to keep monkeypox at bay in the European region, Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Europe, said here on Wednesday.
• Monkeypox infections continue to rise in U.S. amid concern for overlooking People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- Monkeypox cases in the United States have continued to climb, reaching 72 as of Tuesday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with the NTV network, St Petersburg, June 16, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Jun 2022
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with TASS news agency, St Petersburg, June 16, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Jun 2022
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with the BBC TV channel, St Petersburg, June 16, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Jun 2022
• Foreign Ministry statement on personal sanctions against representatives of Australian military command, business leaders and journalists Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Jun 2022
• Biden told Austin, Blinken to tone down rhetoric against Russia: Report Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- US President Joe Biden told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in April to tone down their rhetoric against Russia, according to a report.
• 'Our Product, Our Rules': Russian Energy Giant Gazprom Reduces Deliveries To EU Countries RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- The head of Russian energy giant Gazprom says that Moscow plays by its own rules after cutting gas deliveries to Germany and Italy.
• Russian Finance Minister Says Eurobond Payments To Be Made In Rubles RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Russia, teetering on the brink of its first international bond default in more than a century, says it will pay rubles on its Eurobonds that will be eligible for redemption as a foreign currency at a later date.
• Europe Switched to Paying Gazprom in Rubles, 90-95% of Previous Volumes, Deputy PM Says Sputnik 16 Jun 2022 -- Most of Gazprom's European clients have switched to paying for gas in rubles, which is about 90-95% of the supplied volumes, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
• Nord Stream Can Stall Completely in the Event of New Turbine Problems, Russian UN Envoy Says Sputnik 16 Jun 2022 -- The pipeline, which supplies a significant proportion of the natural gas imported by Germany, reduced its output to just 60% after its operator failed to receive one of the turbines that pump the gas from maintenance in Canada due to anti-Russia sanctions. The warnings of a further reduction in the capacity prompted a 25% spike in EU gas prices.
• Britain Imposes Fresh Sanctions On Russian Officials, Including Patriarch Kirill RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Britain has sanctioned Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, as part of a new package of measures aimed at punishing Moscow over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Russia and Egypt to Switch to National Currencies in Mutual Settlements, Industry Minister Says Sputnik 16 Jun 2022 -- Moscow and Cairo will switch to mutual settlements in rubles and Egyptian pounds, Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on Thursday.
• Sanctions on Russia already hitting remittance-dependent countries in Central Asia: IOM UN News 15 Jun 2022 -- As the UN marks the International Day of Family Remittances on Thursday, there is concern that economic contraction and job losses in Russia - likely to now rise further as a result of sanctions imposed since the invasion of Ukraine - are already having an impact on remittance-dependent communities in Central Asia, according to experts with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
• Russia continues to slash gas supply to Europe People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- Russian gas giant Gazprom announced on Wednesday that it will shut down another turbine engine on the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline, thus significantly reducing the amount of gas delivery to Europe.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 16, 2022 PRC MofA 16 Jun 2022
• China balancing close ties with Russia and distance from Ukraine war: analysts Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping is struggling to balance his country's geopolitical interests with his support for Russia in the wake of president Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, analysts said following a call between the two leaders.
• China Reaffirms Strong Ties with Russia VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Chinese state media says President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his country's close ties to Russia during a phone call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• China Says It Has 'Zero Tolerance' for Racism Amid Malawi Fallout VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- The Chinese government is working to prevent continued diplomatic fallout and protect its image in Africa after racist videos of African children made by a Chinese man living in Malawi surfaced this week.
• China nationalizes private schools in ongoing reform of education sector Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- Authorities across China have begun nationalizing private schools, amid ongoing reforms aimed at bringing all educational institutions under the direct control of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
• China won't allow secession of Taiwan: Official Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- China will not allow the secession of Taiwan from the mainland, says a senior Chinese official, amid heightened tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island.
• Taiwan Lodges Protest With World Cup Over Nonrecognition VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Taiwanese officials have protested to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) over rules requiring their citizens to register as Chinese before attending the 2022 World Cup.
• Mystery Stomach Disease Hits North Korean Province VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- North Korea is rushing to contain an outbreak of a "malignant" intestinal disease, state media reported this week, a month after the country acknowledged it is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
• Targeting a Sanctions Evasion Network Supporting Iranian Petrochemical Sales US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2022 -- The United States is imposing sanctions on a network of Iranian petrochemical producers and front companies in the People's Republic of China (PRC), the United Arab Emirates, and Iran that support Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. and Iran's Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC), entities instrumental in brokering the sale of Iranian petrochemicals abroad.
• Treasury Targets International Sanctions Evasion Network Supporting Iranian Petrochemical Sales US Treasury 16 Jun 2022 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network of Iranian petrochemical producers, as well as front companies in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that support Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (Triliance) and Iran's Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC), entities instrumental in brokering the sale of Iranian petrochemicals abroad. This network helps effectuate international transactions and evade sanctions, supporting the sale of Iranian petrochemical products to customers in the PRC and the rest of East Asia.
• U.S. Targets Companies Selling Iranian Petrochemicals In New Sanctions RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese and Emirati companies and a network of Iranian firms that it says have helped export Iran's petrochemicals.
• New sanctions: US targets Chinese, Emirati firms, Indian broker for Iran petrochemical sales Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- The administration of US President Joe Biden has imposed a new round of sanctions on Iranian petrochemical producers as well as a network of Chinese, Emirati and Indian companies over what the US Treasury described as facilitating the export of Iran's oil.
• FM: US goal of resolution to gain political concession in Vienna talks IRNA 16 Jun 2022 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a telephone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Thursday said that the US goal of the resolution in the IAEA Board of Governors (BoG) is to gain political concessions at the negotiating table in Vienna talks.
• AEOI spokesman urges Grossi to stay away from political remarks IRNA 16 Jun 2022 -- Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi on Wednesday urged IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to refrain from making political remarks that feed media.
• Foreign minister: US planned IAEA resolution to get concessions from Iran in Vienna talks Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the United States was behind the recent anti-Tehran resolution, which was adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors, in order to mount pressure on Iran in the Vienna talks.
• Iran, Russia reach initial agreement for joint ship production Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- Iran and Russia have reached an initial agreement for launching a joint shipbuilding venture in the Caspian Sea region.
• Iraq pays back $1.6bn of its natural gas arrears to Iran: Owji Press TV 16 Jun 2022 -- Iran has received from Iraq a sum of $1.6 billion the Arab country owed to Iran for imports of natural gas in the past years, according to remarks by the Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji.
• Concerns Over Draft Bill That Would Loosen Limits On Use Of Firearms By Iranian Law Enforcement RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Iran has been hit by months of anti-government protests by pensioners and workers angered at soaring living costs in the Islamic republic.
• Iranian Institutions Facing Food Shortages As Prices Skyrocket RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Local media in Iran say public institutions such as hospital, prisons, and child-care centers are facing possible food shortages due to skyrocketing prices.
• Iranian Teachers Protest Detention Of Colleagues, Dire Economic Situation RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Teachers in cities across Iran have again taken to the streets to protest the continued detention of four of their colleagues, as well as the dire economic situation in the country.
• Migration from Myanmar to Thailand surges amid fighting, COVID concerns Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- The number of migrants crossing illegally from Myanmar to Thailand has surged in recent months as residents of regions near the border flee fighting with government troops and outbreaks of COVID-19, sources say.
• Political prisoner executions would backfire on Myanmar junta, say analysts Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- As talk that Myanmar's junta was set to hang veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy and three other men went viral on social media Thursday, other junta opponents and analysts said carrying out the executions would backfire against the military regime that has ruled the country since a coup last year.
• India-ASEAN Meeting Highlighting Challenges From China-US Rivalry, Ukraine War VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Two-day talks between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers opened Thursday in New Delhi with calls for stronger ties between India and the regional bloc.
• Indians' Slur Roils Bangladeshi Activists; Dhaka Government Remains Silent VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Several thousand activists and leaders from Islamist political parties in Bangladesh marched Thursday toward the Indian High Commission in the capital, Dhaka, protesting derogatory remarks about Islam's prophet made by two prominent figures in India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
• Why is the Northern Ireland Protocol so important? Germany Federal Foreign Office 16 Jun 2022 -- The Northern Ireland Protocol regulates trade and prevents a hard border on the island of Ireland, thereby upholding the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement that plays an instrumental role in securing peace. Draft legislation now presented by the UK Government aims to override the Protocol unilaterally.
• EU launches legal action against UK over post-Brexit deal changes People's Daily 16 Jun 2022 -- The European Union (EU) has launched legal action against the United Kingdom (UK) in response to the latter's "unilateral" moves to rewrite parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the post-Brexit deal, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
• Australia Intensifies Diplomatic Offensive to Counter China in the Pacific VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Australia's new foreign minister, Penny Wong, has traveled to New Zealand as the Canberra government intensifies its efforts to counter China's growing security and trade ambitions in the Pacific region. Australia is promising its regional neighbors stronger action to combat climate change.
• State Department Takes Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions Against Cuban Officials US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2022 -- The Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on five Cuban officials pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 5377, which suspends nonimmigrant entry into the United States of officers and employees of the Cuban government.
• Split between opposition leaders could solidify Hun Sen's rule in Cambodia Radio Free Asia 16 Jun 2022 -- The split between Cambodian opposition leaders Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy could help Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) hold power, sources in the country told RFA.
• Armenian Opposition Seeks To Oust Pashinian By Initiating Impeachment RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- Armenia's opposition says it will look to impeach Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian over his government's handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with Azerbaijan.
• Court In Bishkek Acquits Jailed Former Kyrgyz President Atambaev In Two Cases RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- A court in Bishkek has acquitted former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev in two corruption cases dating back several years unrelated to the crime for which he is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence.
• Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Ousted As Government Faces No-Confidence Vote Next Week RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- The Bulgarian parliament has ousted its speaker in a new blow to the coalition government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, who faces a vote of no-confidence next week.
• Macron Says Moldovans Must Expect Conditions To Be Part Of EU Response To Membership Bid RFE/RL 16 Jun 2022 -- The European Union will give a "clear" and "positive" response to membership bids by Moldova and Ukraine, but there will be "conditions" before either obtains candidate status, French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 15 in Chisinau.
• Sudan: One-third of population faces acute food insecurity UN News 16 Jun 2022 -- One-third of Sudan's population, or 15 million people, are facing acute food insecurity, according to a new assessment released on Thursday by the World Food Programme (WFP).
• Sudan New WFP Food Security assessment confirms alarming rise in hunger WFP 16 Jun 2022 -- A record 15 million people in Sudan - one-third of the population - are currently facing acute food insecurity, the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) released by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) shows.
• Socio-economic meltdown leaves Lebanese 'hanging on by a thread' UN News 16 Jun 2022 -- With livelihoods in tatters and hopes almost shattered, the Lebanese are "hanging on by a thread," the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said on Thursday, announcing the extension of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to address the rapidly deteriorating situation.
• WFP launches emergency response in Sri Lanka amid escalating food crisis WFP 16 Jun 2022 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began distributing food vouchers to pregnant women in underserved districts of Colombo, marking the start of WFP's emergency response in the country. WFP is working to provide life-saving food, cash and voucher assistance to three million of the most vulnerable people who can no longer meet their food needs due to Sri Lanka's unprecedented economic crisis.
• Sri Lanka: WFP ramps up emergency support, beginning with pregnant mothers in need UN News 16 Jun 2022 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday began distributing food vouchers to pregnant women in underserved districts of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, marking the start of the UN agency's emergency response in the country, which is facing its gravest political and economic crisis since independence.
• Activists Welcome UN Rights Chief's Decision to Step Down VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- Michelle Bachelet's decision not to seek a second term as U.N. human rights chief is being seen as a "huge victory" by China rights activists.
• Thousands of Somalis at Risk of Starving to Death, Aid Groups Say VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- The drought devastating the Horn of Africa has hit Somalia the hardest, with an estimated one-half of its 16 million people facing crisis-level food insecurity. Aid groups say hundreds of thousands of Somalis are at risk of starving to death, while hundreds of children are already dying of malnutrition.
• Greek Neo-Nazi Party Leaders Appeal Convictions VOA 16 Jun 2022 -- The imprisoned leaders of Greece's once-powerful neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party are seeking to overturn long prison terms in an appeals court trial that began this week in Athens.