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Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Announces the Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office DoD 20 Jul 2022 -- On July 15, 2022, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), amended her original direction to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security by renaming and expanding the scope of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Group (AOIMSG) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), due to the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2022, which included a provision to establish an office, in coordination with DNI, with responsibilities that were broader than those originally assigned to the AOIMSG.
• Military training area in Poland expands under Puerto Rico National Guard Leadership Army News 20 Jul 2022 -- Near the small town of Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, where the population is just over 11,000, sits three barracks buildings. To the U.S. Soldiers stationed there, it is known as the Konotop barracks. In 2014, the United States sent troops to Poland to train with Polish Land Forces on a rotational basis. Now, various units rotate to conduct missions, including public affairs detachments, armored brigades, and regional support groups.
• USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5) arrives in Mindelo, Cabo Verde US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5) arrived in Mindelo, Cabo Verde for a brief stop for logistics during a scheduled port visit, July 20, 2022.
• VP-8 Hosts U.S. Ambassador to Palau US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- The Honorable John Hennessey-Niland, U.S. Ambassador to Palau, visited the crew of the "Fighting Tigers" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8's Palau detachment while in the Republic of Palau, July 10.
• USS San Jacinto (CG 56) arrives in Split, Croatia US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) arrived in Split, Croatia for a scheduled port visit, July 20.
• Naval Special Warfare Pivots to New Deploy-for-Purpose Model US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- Earlier this summer, West-Coast based SEAL Team platoons used the Deploy-for-Purpose model to innovate simultaneously with new equipment and tactics to meet new threats and expand the United States' national advantage in strategic competition.
• Snipers Hone Their Skills During RIMPAC 2022 US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- You have one bullet to get it right. That is the reality of being a sniper.
• Philippine Navy contingent on a roll as RIMPAC enters next phase US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) sailed out to sea to join the other 37 ships, 4 submarines, 170 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel in the conduct of the at-sea phase of training during the ongoing Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.
• HMAS Canberra Focuses on Environmental Stewardship during RIMPAC 2022 US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Somaia Ahmadi is an Assistant Marine Engineer Officer whose ancillary duty as the environmental officer onboard Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) is to ensure all environmental matters are taken care of. Waste management is her primary focus onboard and during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 the ship went to extra lengths to adhere to the environmental requirements of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam while HMAS Canberra participates in RIMPAC 2022 in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
• MQ-9 makes its debut at RIMPAC SINKEX 2022 US Navy 20 Jul 2022 -- The first-ever use of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper, a remotely piloted aircraft, during a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 sinking exercise (SINKEX), July 12.
• Gen. Milley orders review of US-Chinese military encounters amid rising tensions Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- America's top general has ordered a comprehensive review of all encounters between the US and Chinese militaries over the past five years in the South China Sea and beyond, defense officials said.
• Air Force prepares for newly approved COVID-19 vaccine: Novavax provides new option for unvaccinated Airmen, Guardians US Air Force 20 Jul 2022 -- The Air Force will soon have the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine available after the U.S Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed it as another primary series option for adults ages 18 years and older.
• Belgium wraps up NATO deployment in Baltic airspace NATO 20 Jul 2022 -- A detachment of four Belgian F-16 fighter aircraft is set to wrap up eight months of activities at the end of July, after their air policing deployment to Estonia was extended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• Belgian Air Force looks back on dual-role deployment in Baltics NATO 20 Jul 2022 -- Belgian F-16s finish an eight-month deployment in support of NATO Air Policing and, subsequently, NATO enhanced Vigilance Activities in Estonia.
• U.S. To Send Ukraine Four More HIMARS As Russia Says Goals Now Go Beyond Donbas RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- The United States will send four more high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's military "tasks" in Ukraine now go beyond the eastern Donbas region.
• Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Fourth Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered) DoD 20 Jul 2022
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark A. Milley Hold a Press Conference DoD 20 Jul 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark A. Milley
• Defense Leaders Meet to Bolster Ukraine Support DoD News 20 Jul 2022 -- Defense leaders from some 50 nations met today as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to discuss the ongoing international support provided to Ukraine as it fights to maintain its sovereignty following an illegal invasion by Russia.
• Ex-U.S. defense chief's comments on Taiwan conscription elicit mixed reaction CNA 20 Jul 2022 -- A suggestion by former United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper that Taiwan should extend its existing four-month mandatory military training for conscripts to at least one year for both men and women received mixed reactions from military experts Wednesday.
• Strategic partner to fast-track space technologies Australia DOD 20 Jul 2022 -- Australia's Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro has announced that Airbus has been selected as the strategic partner for Defence's Resilient Multi-mission Space STaR Shot - a strategic research program established to develop future space capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
• Mining for information at RIMPAC Australia DOD 20 Jul 2022 -- Partner nation teams are using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to assist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) dive teams by searching for manmade objects that could represent mines.
• IDF Publicly Discloses Its Well-Known Use of Attack Drones in Offensive Strikes Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- Until now, Israel's military has refrained from disclosing its use of attack drones, and Israelis who have attempted to report on the state's weaponization of armed drones have been promptly met with the threat of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) censor.
• Syria's continued failure to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention UK FCDO 20 Jul 2022 -- Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the UN Security Council briefing on Syria Chemical Weapons
• £1 million for innovation to enhance UK space capabilities UK MOD 20 Jul 2022 -- Five innovative organisations have won a share of £1 million to develop technologies that enhance the UK's ability to safely operate in space.
• Indian army officers learn about Tibet in new course aimed at 'better understanding' Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- Indian army officers are learning about Tibet in a new program aimed at promoting a better understanding of the formerly independent Himalayan country, now a part of China, in response to deadly clashes along their high-altitude border in 2020, sources say.
• Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival The White House 20 Jul 2022
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy En Route Somerset, MA The White House 20 Jul 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis US Dept. of State 20 Jul 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo At a Virtual Supply Chain Ministerial Forum US Dept. of State 20 Jul 2022
• Department Press Briefing - July 20, 2022 US Dept. of State 20 Jul 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 20, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 20 July 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 Jul 2022
• WHO calls for action to provide migrant and refugee healthcare UN News 20 Jul 2022 -- Millions of refugees and migrants face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, which could jeopardize reaching the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for these populations.
• WHO: Millions of Refugees, Migrants Suffer Ill Health for Lack of Care VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- A new study shines a light on the health risks, challenges, and barriers faced daily by millions of refugees and migrants who suffer from poor health because they lack access to the health care available to others in their host countries.
• WFP Chief Raises Alarm on Potential Food Shortages in 2023 VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- World Food Program chief David Beasley raised the alarm Wednesday on Capitol Hill about the possibility of global food shortages next year if Russia does not lift its blockade of Ukrainian grain exports and send its own fertilizer to world markets.
• UN releases report on human rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover UNAMA 20 Jul 2022 -- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today released a report (Human rights in Afghanistan: 15 August 2021 - 15 June 2022) outlining the human rights situation in Afghanistan over the 10 months since the Taliban takeover.
• Afghanistan: Report highlights multiple human rights violations and abuses under Taliban UN News 20 Jul 2022 -- A new report from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released on Wednesday, confirms the erosion of basic human rights across the country since the Taliban takeover in August last year, pointing out they bear responsibility for extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and violations of fundamental freedoms.
• Erosion Of Women's Rights, Extrajudicial Killings Plague Taliban Rule, UN Says RFE/RL Gandhara 20 Jul 2022 -- The United Nations says that almost one year since the Taliban take-over, the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened considerably despite an overall significant reduction in armed violence.
• UN Decries Rights Abuses by Taliban, Hails Improved Afghan Security VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- A new United Nations report said Wednesday that the erosion of women's rights in Afghanistan had been one of the most notable aspects of the Taliban takeover of the country last August.
• Press release on another shipment of Russian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 Jul 2022
• Syrian conflict has no military solution: Iran, Russia, Turkey IRNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey said in a joint statement on Tuesday that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict.
• Iran voices concern about potential Turkish invasion of Syria as Erdogan renews case for operation Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expresses concern regarding a fresh potential Turkish invasion of northern Syria, which Ankara might undertake under the pretext of fighting "terrorists."
• No: 231, 20 July 2022, Press Release Regarding the Attack Carried out in Iraq's Duhok Province Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 Jul 2022 -- We have learned with deep sorrow that, according to preliminary reports 8 people lost their lives and 23 people were injured in an attack carried out today (July 20), to a streamside in the Zakho district of Iraq's Duhok province.
• The United States Condemns Attack in the Dohuk Province of Iraq US Dept. of State 20 Jul 2022
• UN mission in Iraq condemns attack in Duhok which left 8 dead UN News 20 Jul 2022 -- The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), has strongly condemned the shelling of a mountain resort in the Kurdistan region of Dohuk Governorate on Wednesday, which reportedly killed eight tourists and wounded more than 20 others.
• Myanmar military slaughters 10, torches village in brutal Sagaing raid Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- Junta troops killed at least 10 people and set fire to around 500 homes during a raid on a predominantly Muslim village in Myanmar's embattled Sagaing region, residents and members of the armed opposition said Wednesday.
• Rakhine civilians arrested by Myanmar forces charged for alleged ties to Arakan Army Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- Thirty ethnic Rakhine civilian men arrested in June for allegedly having connections to Arakan Army rebels in western Myanmar's Rakhine state have been charged with harming public interest, relatives of those arrested and people assisting the men told RFA on Wednesday.
• Al-Shabab Attacks Somali Towns Close to Ethiopian Border VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- Heavy fighting was reported Wednesday after al-Shabab militants attacked two Somali towns along the border with Ethiopia.
• Mali Gives UN Spokesperson 72 Hours to Leave Country VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- Mali's military government has given Olivier Salgado, the spokesperson for the U.N. mission to Mali, 72 hours to leave the country. The order comes after he tweeted that the Malian government was informed of the arrival of 49 Ivorian soldiers as support for a U.N. contingent. The soldiers were arrested at Bamako's airport on July 10.
• Cameroon's Defense Minister Promises to Punish Government Troops Violating Human Rights VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- For the first time, Cameroon's defense minister has acknowledged grave rights abuses by the military against civilians in the fight against Anglophone rebels and ordered such violations to stop. Cameroon's military has characterized past abuses, including torture and killings, as isolated incidents. Rights groups and victims welcome the call while voicing doubt the abuses will end.

News Reports

• Aspen Security Forum Fireside Chat: CIA Director William Burns / NBC Correspondent Andrea Mitchell CIA 20 Jul 2022
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with RT television, Sputnik agency and Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, Moscow, July 20, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 Jul 2022
• Brussels Calls on EU Member States to Slash Natural Gas Use VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- With tensions growing over the war in Ukraine and Russia's energy cuts, the European Union's executive arm is calling on member nations to cut natural gas consumption by 15% between August and next March to avoid what it calls energy 'blackmail" — and its potentially catastrophic economic fallout.
• EU Proposes 15 Percent Cut In Gas Consumption To Offset Russian 'Blackmail' RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- The European Commission has proposed introducing a voluntary 15 percent cut in target gas usage for European Union member states in case of a cutoff of Russian flows of the fuel to Europe.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question regarding statements by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 Jul 2022
• US, UK Want to Turn Russia Against Europe by Supplying Ukraine With Weapons, Lavrov Tells Sputnik Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- By arming Ukraine, the West seeks to pit European countries against Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that the strategy is advantageous for the United States.
• Russia Placed On U.S. Human Trafficking Report, Child Soldier List RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- The United States has placed Russia on a list of countries engaged in human trafficking or forced labor, the U.S. State Department said on July 19.
• Russia: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the Law on Foreign Agents EC/CEU 20 Jul 2022 -- Today marks the tenth anniversary of the signing by President Putin of the law on "foreign agents", a decade shaped by the Russian authorities' growing fear of critical voices from within Russian society.
• EU Bans Gold Imports As Part Of Seventh Sanctions Package Against Russia RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- EU ambassadors have adopted a new round of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
• Russia Remains China's Largest Oil Supplier For Second Month Running RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- Russia was China's main oil supplier for the second month running in June as buyers shunned Saudi Arabian crude to take advantage of lower-priced supplies offered by Moscow.
• Putin Says Gazprom Will Fulfill Its Gas Export Obligations RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says state-owned energy giant Gazprom is ready to fulfil its obligations on gas exports.
• China Denounces US Regarding Space as 'Warfighting Domain', Calls for 'Peace and Stability' in Orbit Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- Last month, the US Space Force (USSF) launched a new intelligence center and US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines called space "a warfighting domain." The military branch was launched in 2019 as Washington began to fret it was losing its half-century of dominance in US orbit.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 20, 2022 PRC MofA 20 Jul 2022
• U.S. "coercive diplomacy" in chip industry will end in failure, says Chinese spokesperson People's Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- The United States' move to politicize sci-tech and trade issues and undermine international trade rules and global market will eventually end in failure, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.
• Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe Accused of Bullying Media VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe has condemned the Chinese embassy in Harare for threatening a weekly newspaper after it published articles on violations by Chinese mining companies.
• Chinese pressure on UN rights chief prompts US call for release of Xinjiang report Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- The U.S. called on the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday release a report on conditions in Xinjiang "without delay," after a report that China was working behind the scenes at the UN to bury the long-delayed document.
• China moves to stave off crisis of confidence in banks amid mortgage strike, freezes Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is moving to dampen concerns about a banking crisis amid an ongoing mortgage repayments strike and widespread protests over frozen accounts at rural banks.
• Premier Li makes latest avowal of opening-up, reasonable growth in reassuring message to foreign business community Global Times 20 Jul 2022 -- Reaffirming opening-up as China's fundamental national policy, Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday assured the foreign business community that the country will efficiently coordinate COVID-19 containment and economic and social development, and strive to get the economy back on track.
• European Parliament slammed for poisoning China-EU relations and urged to abide by one-China principle Global Times 20 Jul 2022 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday for having seriously violating the one-China principle and urged the EU body to stop any forms of official exchanges with China's Taiwan region.
• China strongly opposes Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan People's Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plan to visit China's Taiwan region.
• China censures US as 'maker of security risks' after sailing of American warship through Taiwan Strait Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- China has denounced the United States as a 'maker of security risks' after another American warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a strategically-sensitive waterway that separates the self-ruled Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) from mainland China.
• Aircraft carrier Shandong sails through Taiwan Straits amid US warship's 'cost-saving' provocation Global Times 20 Jul 2022 -- The aircraft carrier Shandong of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly sailed through the Taiwan Straits on Tuesday, the same day a US destroyer also made a transit in the region, with experts saying on Wednesday that the US warship's provocative move, which came right after its consecutive trespasses in Xisha and Nansha islands in the South China Sea last week, is a desperate and cost-saving attempt to hype tensions and contain China as the US faces China's growing capabilities, while the Chinese carrier was just returning to base after a regular maintenance.
• Chinese military slams US warship's transit through Taiwan Strait PLA Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- The US guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed through the Taiwan Strait on July 19 and hyped it up publicly. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent its naval and air forces to conduct security tracking and monitoring of the US warship in the whole course, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a written statement released on Wednesday.
• China Accuses US of Undermining Peace After American Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- The United States is undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Col. Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said on Wednesday.
• U.S. warship sails through Taiwan Strait CNA 20 Jul 2022 -- A U.S. warship sailed passed international waters in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday to show Washington's "commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the 7th Fleet under the U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement.
• DPRK Foreign Ministry Director General's Statement KCNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Pak Jong Hak, director general of the Department of Southeast Asian Affairs of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, issued the following press statement on July 20:
• Iran recalls its Sweden envoy over ruling against Hamid Nouri IRNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that it had recalled its ambassador to Sweden over the recent court ruling against Iranian national Hamid Nouri.
• Iran-Russia relations have nothing to do with US: Foreign Ministry spokesman ISNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the 7th Summit of the Guarantor States of the Astana Process in Tehran with the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia in attendance "constructive", saying that Iran welcomed UAE's willingness to send an ambassador to Tehran.
• AEOI chief: Iran needs no one's permit to work towards goals IRNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has hailed the country's progress, saying it sends a clear message that the Islamic Republic does not need anyone's permit to work towards its goals.
• Iran's Chief of Staff: Presence of strangers in region results in nothing but insecurity ISNA 20 Jul 2022 -- The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri held a meeting with Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Al Rahbi, while stating that Iran and Oman have had favorable military ties for a long time which is expanding in various dimensions.
• Diplomatic apparatus' new approach bearing fruit: Iranian President ISNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Expressing his satisfaction with the fruitfulness of the new approach of the country's diplomatic apparatus and the unprecedented improvement of the level of the country's trade relations with its neighbours, Iranian President called on all executive bodies to adhere to the requirements of this approach.
• Top nuclear official: Iran's decisive action forced West to retreat Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- Iran's top nuclear official says the country's countermeasures following a bid to pressure Tehran into submission to Western demands have been totally effective, forcing the Europeans and the US to change their language.
• Putin urges implementation of JCPOA with mutual guarantee IRNA 20 Jul 2022 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that all parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal should maintain and revive it.
• Raisi, Putin vow to expand Iran-Russia cooperation, ensure regional security People's Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held talks here on Tuesday, agreeing to further strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation to ensure security in the region.
• Iran, Russia sign MoU for petroleum investment People's Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- Tehran and Moscow on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding, based on which the latter is expected to make an investment worth roughly 40 billion U.S. dollars in Iran's petroleum industry, the Iranian Oil Ministry's news service Shana reported.
• Nuclear deal can survive if US opts for own interests rather than Israel's: Foreign Ministry spokesman Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- Tehran says multilateral negotiations to revive the 2015 Iran deal will be fruitful if the United States looks at the issue through the lens of its own national interests rather than those of the Israeli regime.
• CIA Director: Iran Never Resumed Nuclear Weapons Program Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- In 2018, the US unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and six other nations, claiming without evidence that Tehran had secretly resumed its nuclear weapons program and imposing "maximum pressure" economic sanctions on the southwest Asian nation.
• UN Aviation Agency Says Belarus Commiitted 'Unlawaful' Act By Diverting Ryanair Flight RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- A fact-finding mission by the UN's civil aviation agency has alleged Belarus committed an "act of unlawful interference" by diverting a Ryanair passenger flight bound for Vilnius to Minsk in order to arrest a dissident journalist.
• Belarus Rejects ICAO Findings on Ryanair Flight's Grounding Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- The head of the Belarusian civil air authority rejected on Wednesday the findings of the UN civil aviation agency ICAO's investigation into the 2021 grounding of a Ryanair passenger jet in Minsk.
• Junta, opposition activists hold dueling events to mark Martyrs' Day in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- Myanmar's military regime and opposition forces held dueling events Tuesday to mark the country's 75th Martyrs' Day, with heavy security deployed in the commercial capital Yangon for an official ceremony as anti-junta activists marched and held protests in several cities and towns.
• Nearly 70 people hiding in a Sagaing monastery captured by Myanmar military Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- Nearly 70 villagers have been arrested at a village in Saigaing region's Yinmabin township.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh says, 10 (Ten) in-orbit operational communication satellites have been transferred from Government of India to M/s. New Space India Ltd (NSIL), a CPSE under Department of Space India PIB 20 Jul 2022 -- Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, 10 (Ten) in-orbit operational communication satellites have been transferred from Government of India to M/s. New Space India Ltd (NSIL), a CPSE under Department of Space.
• France-United Arab Emirates Joint Statement on the occasion of the state visit to France of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE 18-19 July 2022 Élysée - President of France 20 Jul 2022 -- At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, conducted a state visit to Paris on 18 and 19 July 2022.
• South Africa's Corruption Watchdog to Subpoena President Ramaphosa Over Farm Scandal Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- South Africa's Public Protector's Office in Pretoria said on Tuesday that she would invoke "subpoena powers" to get testimony from President Cyril Ramaphosa after he refused to give requested answers about the theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala game reserve.
• Wickremesinghe Becomes Sri Lanka's President, Protesters Disappointed VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- In Sri Lanka, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the country's new leader following the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a popular uprising. But his rise to the top job could ignite more anger in a country where he has also been the target of mass protests and is not seen as representing the political change people had demanded.
• Sri Lanka economic crisis requires 'immediate global attention': Rights experts UN News 20 Jul 2022 -- Greater support must be given to Sri Lanka as the country faces economic crisis and political turmoil, a group of UN human rights experts said on Wednesday in an appeal to the international community.
• Sri Lanka's acting president voted as new president, to carry on negotiations with IMF, other intl lenders Global Times 20 Jul 2022 -- Acting Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected president in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday and he is expected to take charge of the bankrupt country to overcome the acute shortages of food, fuel and other basic supplies and resume negotiations for a bailout with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as new president of Sri Lanka People's Daily 20 Jul 2022 -- Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the new president of Sri Lanka in an election held in parliament on Wednesday.
• Sri Lanka parliament elects 6-time Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as president Press TV 20 Jul 2022 -- Sri Lankan legislators have elected six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president of the crisis-hit island country, days after runaway president Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from abroad.
• Duterte aide: Marcos administration should drop China-backed loans for rail projects Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- The new government in the Philippines should seek loans from other sources after China left three heavily promoted railway projects unfunded during Rodrigo Duterte's entire six-year term, a top planner for the former president said.
• Central Asian Leaders Meet Amid Russia's 'Declining Role' In Region RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- The presidents of the five Central Asian countries are in Kyrgyzstan to discuss political and economic cooperation after violent unrest in three countries in the region and a change in attitudes toward Russian influence in the former Soviet countries.
• Central Asian Leaders Meet In Kyrgyzstan Amid Concerns Over War In Ukraine, Economic Issues RFE/RL 20 Jul 2022 -- The leaders of five Central Asian nations are set to begin a meeting in the Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata to discuss economic and political cooperation after recent unrest in the region and moves by Moscow to increase Russia's influence in the former Soviet republics.
• Uzbek President Lifts State of Emergency in Karakalpakstan Region Effective Thursday Sputnik 20 Jul 2022 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree lifting ahead of the planned deadline the state of emergency in the country's northwestern region of Karakalpakstan, where mass protests against constitutional amendments took place in early July, press secretary Sherzod Asadov said on Wednesday.
• Release of the Section 353 List of Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors for Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua US Dept. of State 20 Jul 2022 -- The United States is committed to partnering with the people of Central America to strengthen democracy, improve rule of law, and combat corruption. We are advancing this effort today by releasing the Section 353 Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list, which identifies [60] individuals.
• Nigerian Authorities Relinquish Management of State-Owned Oil Company VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, has unveiled a revamped national oil company that he called commercially driven and not relying on government funding. Buhari says the Nigerian National Petroleum Company would improve energy security amid shortages and high prices. But energy experts in Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, question if needed reforms will accompany the re-branding.
• Unease downstream despite assurances that leaking Lao Nam Theun 1 is safe Radio Free Asia 20 Jul 2022 -- People living near a leaking dam in central Laos remained fearful Wednesday, five days after a video of the leak went viral, despite assurances from the government that it is structurally safe and will be fixed in weeks, sources in the country told RFA.
• Italian PM Calls For Teetering Unity Coalition to 'Rebuild This Pact' VOA 20 Jul 2022 -- Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy told lawmakers Wednesday that he will remain in office only if the political infighting among the various parties ends.