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News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S. drone strike kills IS leader in Syria People's Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- The United States conducted a drone strike Tuesday that killed the Islamic State's (IS) leader in Syria, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force completes another successful hypersonic test US Air Force 13 Jul 2022 -- The Air Force conducted another successful hypersonic test off the Southern California coast, July 12.
• Operational Fires Program Successfully Completes First Flight Test DARPA 13 Jul 2022 -- DARPA's Operational Fires (OpFires) program has successfully executed its first flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The OpFires system achieved all test objectives, including first ever use of a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) logistics truck as a medium-range missile launcher, missile canister egress, stable flight capture, and use of U.S. Army inventory artillery fire control systems to initiate the test mission. Lockheed Martin built the system, which includes a Northrop Grumman rocket motor, and conducted the test.
• Navy demonstrates new, improved breathing device for air crew training US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges program office (PMA-205) recently completed installation and demonstrated the new Mask on Breathing Device (MOBD) trainer July 7 at Patuxent River.
• Exercise Bell Buoy wraps up in Hawaii during RIMPAC 2022 US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- The Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group (PACIOSWG) conducted Exercise Bell Buoy 2022 at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, June 27 to July 1, as a part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.
• Future USS Fort Lauderdale Sails Away US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- Underway, Shift Colors! The Navy's newest amphibious transport dock ship, the future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), began her maiden voyage as the ship departed from Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., July 11, en route to her commissioning site in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. and homeport in Norfolk, Va.
• RIMPAC Medical Symposium Focuses on Interoperability US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- On July 1, 2022, a panel of four medical flag officers from the United States and Australia met to discuss joint-medical readiness during the 2022 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) Medical Symposium at Sharkey Theater on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
• Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group Operates in the South China Sea US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is operating in the South China Sea for the first time during its 2022 deployment, July 13.
• New York Army National Guard, South Africa train together Army News 13 Jul 2022 -- New York Army National Guard Soldiers will spend the next two weeks working on an exercise with their State Partnership Program partners in South Africa.
• Wisconsin Guard Completes Multinational Training in Africa Army News 13 Jul 2022 -- Two Wisconsin Army National Guard units played supporting roles in African Lion 22, U.S. African Command's largest premier joint annual exercise.
• 101st Soldiers demonstrate CQB Readiness in Romania Army News 13 Jul 2022 -- Since arriving in Romania Soldiers with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), have improved their proficiency in close quarters battle with Battle Drill 6 on Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, July 11, 2022.
• Special Online Briefing with Major General Joel L. Carey, Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, U.S Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa and Brigadier General Christoph Pliet, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations at NATO's Headquarters Allied Air Command US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2022
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Minister of Defense for the Kingdom of the Netherlands DoD 13 Jul 2022
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks Welcoming Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, to the Pentagon DoD 13 Jul 2022
• Austin, Marles Discuss Future of Australia, U.S. Alliance DoD News 13 Jul 2022 -- The meeting between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles was more of a family reunion than a strategic summit.
• Dutch, U.S. Defense Leaders Work to Strengthen Ties DoD News 13 Jul 2022 -- Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said they have never seen NATO more united than it is today.
• US Air Force Successfully Tests Hypersonic Missile Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The United States has successfully tested a hypersonic missile that is being developed by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the US Air Force said in a statement on Wednesday.
• DAF COVID-19 Statistics - July 12, 2022 US Air Force 13 Jul 2022 -- Below are current coronavirus disease 2019 statistics for Department of the Air Force personnel.
• Department of the Air Force completes USSPACECOM draft environmental assessment US Air Force 13 Jul 2022 -- The Department of the Air Force has completed the draft environmental assessment of the preferred alternative and other five reasonable alternatives for U.S. Space Command headquarters as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The draft document was made available, July 13, for a 30-day public comment period in accordance with the NEPA process.
• SIRI-2 to Qualify Technologies for Radiation Detection in Space US Navy 13 Jul 2022 -- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists launched the second Strontium Iodide Radiation Instrument (SIRI-2) instrument in December 2021 onboard Space Test Program (STP) Sat-6. SIRI-2, a gamma-ray spectrometer, will demonstrate the performance of europium-doped strontium iodide gamma ray detection technology with sufficient active area for Department of Defense (DoD) operational needs.
• NATO Air Forces Ready to Integrate With Those of Finland, Sweden Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- NATO air forces have good coordination with partners in Sweden and Finland and are ready to integrate them as soon as the two countries join the alliance, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations at NATO's Headquarters Allied Air Command Brigadier General Christoph Pliet said on Wednesday.
• NATO Secretary General meets with members of EU Parliament NATO 13 Jul 2022 -- Speaking with members of the EU parliament on 13 July 2022, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the NATO Summit in Madrid as "historic and transformative".
• NATO Secretary General welcomes Albanian Prime Minister to NATO Headquarters NATO 13 Jul 2022 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister Edi Rama at NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (13 July 2022) and thanked him for Albania's contributions to the Alliance.
• Ukraine joins NATO's program of technological cooperation People's Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- Ukraine has become an associate member of the Multilateral Interoperability Program (MIP), which coordinates technological cooperation of the armies of NATO member states, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Tuesday.
• US, allies on brink of military confrontation with Moscow: Russia Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- Russia says the United States and its allies are on the brink of an open military conflict with Moscow, as tensions continue to grow between the Kremlin and the West over Ukraine.
• Borrell: EU Needs Joint Arms Procurement to Refill Stocks Drained by Supplies to Ukraine Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The European Union should scale up joint arms procurement to replenish stockpiles exhausted due to the military assistance rendered to Ukraine, enhancing the bloc's and NATO's defense capabilities, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday.
• China, Pakistan maritime drill concludes PLA Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- Navies of China and Pakistan concluded a four-day joint maritime exercise codenamed Sea Guardians-2 on Wednesday.
• VOA Interview: NSC Coordinator John Kirby VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has an "extensive" agenda as he heads into a four-day trip to the Middle East, his National Security Council coordinator told VOA on Tuesday.
• Remarks by President Biden at Arrival Ceremony The White House 13 Jul 2022
• Biden Cites 'Bond' With Israel as Mideast Tour Begins VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden launched his first Middle East visit Wednesday by attesting to the "bone-deep bond" between the United States and Israel as he landed in Tel Aviv. His three-day trip is part of a broader Middle East tour that includes stops in the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.
• Joint Statement by PM Lapid and US President Joe Biden Israel - Prime Minister 13 Jul 2022 -- Israel and the United States announce the beginning of a strategic partnership in the field of advanced technology that will put Israel shoulder-to-shoulder with its leading ally, the United States.
• Joint U.S.-Israel Statement on Launching Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology The White House 13 Jul 2022
• US Beefs Up South Pacific Aid, Diplomacy as China Spreads Its Influence VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- A U.S. presidential initiative to boost American support in the South Pacific is a reaction to the growing influence of China in the vast tract of tropical islands that have historically been under Western influence, experts say.
• US unveils new Pacific strategy to counter China Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- The US has launched yet another major push in the Asia Pacific aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region, with Vice President Kamala Harris vowing new commitments to the area.
• Background Press Call Previewing Day Two of the President's Trip to the Middle East The White House 13 Jul 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Jan Adams US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2022
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan En Route Tel Aviv, Israel The White House 13 Jul 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 13, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 13 July 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Jul 2022
• 'They Call Us Infidels': Former Afghan Soldiers Still Live In Hiding To Avoid Taliban Retribution RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2022 -- Suleiman and his family have been living in hiding for months, constantly moving from place to place for fear of Taliban retribution.
• Afghanistan, Pakistan Rank Lowest In Gender-Gap Index RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2022 -- Afghanistan and Pakistan are at the bottom of the global gender gap index for 2022, dragged down by the lack of opportunities for women in the conservative, male-dominated societies.
• China lashes out as U.S. Navy destroyer sails near disputed islands Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- A U.S. Navy Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday has drawn a strong reaction from Chinese military officials who said the U.S. warship "illegally trespassed" into its waters.
• PLA releases photos of warning away trespassing US warship, shows confidence in tackling navigational hegemony Global Times 13 Jul 2022 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command warned away a US destroyer which trespassed in Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday, and published photos of the operation for the first time, in a move that analysts said reflected the PLA's growing confidence and readiness against US provocations.
• China urges US to respect China's sovereignty, interests on S.China Sea matter Global Times 13 Jul 2022 -- China's stance on the so-called South China Sea arbitration is supported and understood by the international community, and any attempt to use this illegal ruling to infringe upon China's sovereignty and rights is doomed to fail. China also urged the US to stop causing trouble and disturbing relations between countries in the region, Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
• Beijing Blasts US as 'Trouble-Maker' After American Warship Trespasses Into China's Waters Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The US guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold on Wednesday entered Chinese waters off the disputed Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea without Beijing's permission, thus once again undermining peace and stability in the region, a spokesman for Chinese military said.
• PLA spokesperson remarks on US destroyer's trespassing China's territorial waters off Xisha Islands on July 13 PLA Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- "On July 13, the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) trespassed into China's territorial waters off Xisha Islands without Chinese government's permission. The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to conduct tracking and monitoring on the US destroyer and warned it off," said Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command, in a written statement on Wednesday.
• China warns away US warship near disputed isles in South China Sea Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- China's military says it has "driven away" a US warship that had sailed close to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
• Syria: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič on the renewal of cross border humanitarian deliveries European External Action Service (EEAS) 13 Jul 2022 -- On 12 July the United Nations Security Council extended for six months, until 10 January 2023, the authorisation for the UN to use the crossing point of Bab al-Hawa from Turkey to Syria for humanitarian deliveries, with a further extension of an additional six months requiring a separate resolution.
• US Opposes Turkey's Potential Military Operation in Northern Syria - Pentagon Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The United States is opposed to a possible military operation by Turkey in northern Syria, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Dana Stroul said.
• US Officials Speak Out Against Turkish Plans for Northern Syria VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Senior U.S. officials are going public with their concerns that Turkey will soon launch renewed military operations in northern Syria, warning such a move will endanger U.S. forces in the region and have disastrous consequences in the fight against Islamic State.
• Junta troops kill 4, including teenage girl, after raid in Myanmar's Sagaing region Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- Residents of Pale township, in Myanmar's embattled Sagaing region, said four people, including a teenage girl, were killed by junta troops after they returned to their village to feed their livestock following a military raid in the area.
• Two dead, nine injured in Yangon blast Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- Two people were killed and nine injured in an explosion in Yangon's Sanchaung township on Tuesday.
• Nine EU states reject Israeli regime's 'terrorist' designation of Palestinian NGOs Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- Nine European Union states have rejected the Israeli regime's terrorist designation of six Palestinian civil society groups, saying they will continue their cooperation and strong support for the organizations.
• Northern Ireland: PEACE PLUS programme will support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland European Commission 13 Jul 2022 -- The Commission has adopted the PEACE PLUS, a new cross-border EU programme to strengthen peace and reconciliation and cross-border cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• Togo Experts Aim to Prevent Islamist Insurgents From Recruiting Youth VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Authorities in Togo are working to prevent their small, West African nation from becoming the next country in the region to struggle with a violent, spreading, Islamist insurgency.
• Ivory Coast Demands Release of Soldiers in Mali VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Ivory Coast released a written statement demanding the immediate release of 49 soldiers arrested at Bamako's airport Sunday, claiming they were "unjustly arrested." Mali's military government has called the soldiers "mercenaries."

News Reports

• Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Espionage Conviction Of Ex-CIA Programmer Joshua Adam Schulte DOJ - USAG-SDNY 13 Jul 2022 -- Joshua Adam Schulte was a CIA programmer with access to some of the country's most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's response to a media question on the European Commission's clarification on Kaliningrad transit Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 13 Jul 2022
• Russia Considers Switching Payments for Grain to Rubles - Foreign Ministry Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- Moscow is considering switching payments for its grain exports to rubles to protect the Russian business amid Western sanctions, similar to the gas payment scheme, Dmitry Birichevsky, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's economic cooperation department, told Sputnik.
• US, allies on brink of military confrontation with Moscow: Russia Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- Russia says the United States and its allies are on the brink of an open military conflict with Moscow, as tensions continue to grow between the Kremlin and the West over Ukraine.
• EU Sanctions on Russia and Shipments To and From Kaliningrad US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2022
• Implementation of sanctions: Commission provides additional guidance on the transit of goods from Russia European Commission 13 Jul 2022 -- The European Commission has today published further guidance to Member States on the transit of goods from Russia. This is part of regular technical exchanges on the practical implementation of EU restrictive measures, which have been unanimously imposed by the Council, in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
• EU Says Sanctioned Russian Goods Can Transit Lithuania By Rail To Kaliningrad RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- The European Union executive has said that sanctioned Russian goods can transit through EU territory by rail but stressed the importance of monitoring such shipments.
• European Commission Clarifies Conditions for Kaliningrad Transit Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The European Commission insisted, however, that the transit of sanctioned military and dual-use technologies and cargo is prohibited.
• Hungary Will Not Join Sanctions Against Gazprom, Russian Gas Embargo Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- Hungary is not prepared to even discuss the Russian gas embargo and will not support the sanctions package if it contains sanctions against Russia's Gazprom or Gazprombank, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday.
• Lithuania Seeks To Decouple Baltic States From Russian Electrical Grid By Early 2024 RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- Lithuania is seeking to decouple the Baltic states from Russia's power grid by early 2024 -- up from a previous target of the end of 2025, the chief of Lithuania's power grid operator said.
• France Takes 'Drastic' Measures to Prepare for Winter, Fills Gas Storage, Minister Says Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- France has taken "drastic" measures to prepare for winter and has increased its gas storage capacity in the event that gas supplies from Russia are interrupted, Energy Transformation Minister Agnès Pannier-Runache said on Wednesday.
• Russian Opposition Politician Yashin Detained For Discrediting Military RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- A court in Moscow has sent Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin to pretrial detention for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian military.
• Russia: Human rights experts condemn civil society shutdown UN News 13 Jul 2022 -- Top UN-appointed independent rights experts have condemned Russia's "continued and heightened crackdown on civil society groups, human rights defenders and media outlets".
• Germany Will Stop Buying Russian Coal On August 1, Oil On December 31 RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- Germany will end purchases of Russian coal on August 1 and stop buying Russian oil on December 31, as the country looks to end its energy reliance on Russia following Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine.
• China Steps Up Intimidation, Harassment of Chinese Dissidents in US VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Last week, the U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment of one former and one current Department of Homeland Security agent in connection with an alleged Chinese government plot to target U.S.-based critics.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 13, 2022 PRC MofA 13 Jul 2022
• Dwindling freedoms, rolling lockdowns spark growing desire to 'run' from China Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- Linghu Changbing has been on the run from China for three years, using his Twitter account to post an account of a motorcycle trip in Mexico and further travels across the United States, to the envy of many in China.
• Flood and Typhoon Damage Prevention Intensified in DPRK KCNA 13 Jul 2022 -- Officials and workers in different economic sectors of the DPRK strive to prevent damage from flood and typhoon.
• North Korea reclassifies escapees to South Korea as 'traitorous puppets' Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- North Korea has reclassified citizens who escape the country and resettle in South Korea as "traitorous puppets" in order to more harshly punish family members who remain in contact with them, sources in the country told RFA.
• Time, place of future talks over JCPOA to be determined soon ISNA 13 Jul 2022 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani declared that there would be important trips from the leaders of neighboring countries to Tehran in the upcoming days, while adding that the place and time of future negotiations over the reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would be determined soon.
• Up to 90% Progress Made on New Nuclear Deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- The negotiators working on the new nuclear deal with Iran have made 90% progress on gaining consent for the draft agreement, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday.
• South Korea says it will return Iran's funds once nuclear deal is restored Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- South Korea has repeated its position on the return of more than $7 billion of Iranian funds blocked in the country because of American sanctions on Tehran as a top diplomat says the funds will be repatriated once Iran and world powers agree to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
• Biden Begins Mideast Tour In Israel With Tough Talk On Iran Nuclear Program RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden began his first visit to the Mideast since taking office by telling Israeli leaders he is determined to stop Iran's nuclear program.
• Iranian Intelligence, IRGC Bust Separatist Militant Cell in West Azerbaijan Province Sputnik 13 Jul 2022 -- Iranian intelligence forces busted a 10-member separatist militant cell in the northwest West Azerbaijan Province, the intelligence ministry said Wednesday.
• Intelligence forces dismantle terrorist network, arrest members in northwest Iran Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- Iran's intelligence forces on Wednesday uncovered and dismantled a terrorist network in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan, which was affiliated with separatist operatives, and arrested its members.
• Rights Groups Urge Belgium To Cancel Prisoner-Swap Accord With Iran RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- A group of 11 human rights organizations have appealed to Belgium to cancel a recent agreement with Iran on the mutual exchange of prisoners.
• Iranian Officials Predict Electricity Shortfalls This Summer RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- Due to delays in the construction of power plants, Iran will experience a deficit of 15,000 megawatts of electricity this summer, a member of the Electricity-Producers Syndicate told Iranian media.
• Myanmar junta chief calls for improved ties in talks with Russian defense ministry Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- Myanmar junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing held talks with officials from Russia's Ministry of Defense in Moscow this week, according to media reports, raising fears the junta is seeking new weapons to turn the tide in its fight against the country's armed opposition.
• US ambassador-nominee to Bangkok promises to help Thais pressure Burmese junta Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2022 -- The Biden administration's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Thailand told a Senate committee Wednesday that he would press Bangkok to reduce its dependence on oil and gas from neighboring Myanmar, where the ruling military junta is committing "horrifying atrocities."
• Persistent imprisonment of journalists severe blow to freedom of expression in Belarus, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative OSCE 13 Jul 2022 -- Following recent prison sentences, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today deplored the continued practice of judicial reprisals against journalists and media workers in Belarus.
• Protests Rage in Colombo as President Flees Sri Lanka VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Protesters stormed the prime minister's office in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, hours after the embattled president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country, forced out by a popular uprising that has targeted the top leadership over the country's dire economic crisis.
• Sri Lankan PM's Office says president Rajapaksa has left country People's Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- The Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the country, hours before his resignation is expected to be announced.
• State of emergency declared in Sri Lanka People's Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency in the South Asian country, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.
• Sri Lanka crisis: President Rajapaksa flees, angry protesters storm PM's office Press TV 13 Jul 2022 -- Sri Lanka's embattled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the crisis-hit country on a military jet to the Maldives amid mass protests over the island's worsening economic crisis, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
• Somalia, Eritrea sign MoU to boost bilateral ties People's Daily 13 Jul 2022 -- Visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Tuesday signed a seven-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral ties.
• Central European States Urge EU To Grant Bosnia Candidate Status RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- Five Central European countries, all members of the European Union, have urged the EU to grant candidate status to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• Former Moldovan Parliament Speaker Candu Targeted In Corruption Probe RFE/RL 13 Jul 2022 -- Moldova's National Anti-Corruption Center (CNA) said on July 13 that it had searched the home of former parliament speaker Andrian Candu and three other properties owned by him as part of an investigation into allegations of "unjust enrichment."
• Unrest in Remote Karakalpakstan Tests Uzbekistan's State, Society VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Uzbekistan's desert region of Karakalpakstan lies astride the bone-dry Aral Sea. But it has another distinction besides its harsh climate: it has autonomy, and even the right to secede from Uzbekistan by referendum, both guaranteed by the country's 1992 constitution.
• Tunisian Opposition Abroad Lobbies Against Upcoming Referendum VOA 13 Jul 2022 -- Tunisian opposition lawmakers are in Paris to lobby against a controversial constitutional referendum taking place later this month, which they argue risks plunging the fragile Arab Spring democracy back into dictatorship.