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Current Operations

• US General Warns Afghan Forces Facing Possible Failure VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- The withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan could lead to the eventual collapse of the country's own security forces, according to the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia.
• 78 militants killed in Afghan forces' operations in 24 hours: gov't People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- At least 78 Taliban militants were killed in various operations conducted by Afghan government forces in the past 24 hours, according to Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense on Thursday.
• Afghanistan Sees Resurgence Of Warlords, In Familiar Echo Of Civil War RFE/RL Gandhara 22 Apr 2021 -- Afghanistan's powerful former warlords are remobilizing their old militias in anticipation of what many expect to be a bloody new chapter in a decades-old conflict.

Defense Policy / Programs

• General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander, U.S. Central Command, Holds a Press Briefing DoD 22 Apr 2021
• SOUTHCOM Commander Visits Dominican Republic, Takes Part in Caribbean Security Conference US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Navy Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, visited the Dominican Republic April 20-22 where he joined national leaders during several bilateral events and took part in a regional conference focused on Caribbean security.
• Admiral Charles A. Richard (USN), commander, U.S. Strategic Command DoD 22 Apr 2021
• Nuclear Triad Modernization the Nation's Highest Priority, Admiral Says DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- The nuclear triad, composed of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, submarines and strategic bombers, has been a credible deterrent to a "bolt out of the blue" attack, said the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, referring to an all-out nuclear attack on the United States.
• Department of Defense Leaders Update Reporters on DOD COVID-19 Efforts DoD 22 Apr 2021 -- Dr. Terry Adirim, Acting Assistant Secretary Of Defense For Health Affairs; Lieutenant General Ronald Place, Director, Defense Health Agency
• DOD Announces Installation Climate Exposure Assessments Plan Through the Defense Climate Assessment Tool DoD 22 Apr 2021 -- In conjunction with President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate, today the Defense Department announced a plan to complete climate exposure assessments on all major U.S. installations within 12 months and all major OCONUS installations within 24 months using the Defense Climate Assessment Tool.
• Secretary Austin Remarks at Climate Change Summit DoD 22 Apr 2021
• Military Leaders Discuss Defense Authorization Request, Future Years Defense Program DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command, and Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of the U.S. Central Command, testified today before the Senate Armed Services Committee in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2022 and the Future Years Defense Program.
• Defense Secretary Calls Climate Change an Existential Threat DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today at the Leaders Summit on Climate.
• DOD Using Climate Assessment Tool to Understand Impacts of Climate Change DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- The Defense Department has identified climate change as a critical national security threat and has taken steps to address vulnerabilities at its installations from climate change such as flooding, forest fires and drought.
• Official Describes Impacts of Climate Change, Standup of Working Group DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- Rising sea levels, more severe storms, increased wildfire intensity and extent, heat, drought and other negative effects; these impacts of climate change will affect people, equipment and property worldwide, and that means they affect the Defense Department, at home and abroad.
• DOD Working to Mitigate Climate Change Effects on Installations DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- In recent years, wildfires impacted the Defense Department's ability to conduct training on installations on the West Coast while hurricanes adversely affected installations along the East Coast, said a Defense Department official, attributing the severity of the storms and the wildfires, in large part, to climate change.
• Action Team Leads DOD Efforts to Adapt to Climate Change Effects DoD News 22 Apr 2021 -- The Defense Department is tackling the climate crisis across a variety of fronts, from increasing energy resilience and security to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming. This multifaceted approach is necessary for installations and operations to adapt to climate hazards ranging from increasingly severe storms to wildfires and droughts.
• Air Force rewrites basic doctrine, focuses on mission command, airpower evolution US Air Force 22 Apr 2021 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. recently signed perhaps the most sweeping change of Air Force basic doctrine in the service's history, marking a major milestone in the service's strategic approach to "Accelerate Change or Lose."
• US, Australia strengthen alliance at Dover AFB US Air Force 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales program is a form of partnership the United States has with more than 180 countries and international organizations to transfer defense articles, services and training to international partners.
• USS Iwo Jima Receives Replenishment-At-Sea US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (IWOARG), conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), April 20, 2021.
• USS San Antonio Conducts Replenishment-At-Sea in the Atlantic Ocean US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (IWOARG), conducted a replenishment-at-sea with fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), April 12, 2021.
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sea Guardian Operates with Naval Assets US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. Navy demonstrated the successful integration of an unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft system with manned capabilities during the Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem 21 (UxS IBP 21) off the coast of San Diego, April 21.
• USS Philippine Sea Returns Home from Deployment US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- The "War Dogs" of the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and the embarked "Vipers" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48 returned to Naval Station Mayport marking the end of their nearly 10-month deployment to the U.S. 2nd, 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
• Unmanned Capabilities Front and Center During Naval Exercise US Navy 22 Apr 2021 -- Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby today declared "the state of our Naval unmanned capabilities is truly unmatched," and vowed continued support for the nation's ongoing transition to a hybrid manned-unmanned force in the future.
• Six Language Recruiters Indicted for Recruiting Unqualified Linguists for Deployment with U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan US Dept. of Justice 22 Apr 2021 -- A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment Wednesday charging six former employees of a government contractor for their role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a U.S. government contract to recruit and deploy qualified linguists to Afghanistan where they would provide language services in Dari and Pashto to the U.S. military, including interacting with Afghan civilians and military forces.
• North Atlantic Council statement in solidarity with the Czech Republic NATO 22 Apr 2021
• NATO Secretary General announces date of the 2021 Brussels Summit NATO 22 Apr 2021
• Remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Leaders Summit on Climate NATO 22 Apr 2021
• U.S. Senate Committee Advances Bill To Increase Military Support To Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has unanimously advanced a bill to deliver military assistance to Ukraine, including lethal weapons, to help the Eastern European country counter Russian aggression.
• Ukraine, Britain agree to expand military cooperation People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- Ukraine and Britain have reached an agreement on expanding the Orbital training mission and working on strengthening the Ukrainian Navy, Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported on Wednesday.
• UK response to Ambassadors Çevik and Grau UK FCDO 22 Apr 2021 -- Ambassador Neil Bush responds to Ambassador Heidi Grau and Ambassador Yaşar Halit Çevik at the OSCE Permanent Council.
• Ukraine urges West to act to deter potential Russian military action Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- The Ukrainian foreign minister has called on Kiev's Western allies to consider imposing a new round of sanctions on Moscow to deter potential Russian military action against his country.
• NATO on End of Military Drills in Southern Russia: Steps Towards De-Escalation Important Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- NATO believes that "any steps" towards de-escalation are important, a NATO official said on Thursday, when commenting on the Russian Defence Ministry's announcement on the conclusion of military drills in the country's south.
• Russia starts major military drills in Crimean Peninsula as Ukraine tensions mount Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- Russia has launched major military exercises in the Crimean Peninsula under the personal supervision of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu near the southern borders of Ukraine amid exacerbating tensions between Moscow and Kiev.
• Putin says Russia to continue modernization of weapons People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- Russia is continuously strengthening its armed forces by modernizing weaponry, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday in his annual state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly.
• China Eyes More Bases in Africa, US Military Official Says VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- U.S. forces in Africa are keeping a watchful eye on China, worried Beijing is getting closer to establishing a network of military and naval bases across the continent.
• China's anti-stealth tech shines at radar expo Global Times 22 Apr 2021 -- Advanced anti-stealth technologies were in the spotlight at China's radar industry exhibition on Thursday, at a time when stealth aircraft have become an increasingly significant threat to air defense worldwide.
• U.S. bill aimed at countering China aggression clears committee stage CNA 22 Apr 2021 -- A draft bill that seeks to boost the United States' capability to counter China's aggression on the international stage, including its belligerence against Taiwan, cleared the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday (U.S. time).
• Iran Conducts Test Flights of 'Suicide' Drone - Video Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) released precise drone footage of what it claimed was a US Navy aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
• Indonesian Army detects underwater movement at last location of missing submarine People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- The Indonesian Army detected underwater movement at 2.5 knots around the last location of the submarine Nanggala-402 missing during a torpedo firing exercise in waters north of Bali Island, according to an official source on Thursday.
• Indonesian submarine with over 50 aboard feared sunken: local media People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- An Indonesian submarine with 53 people aboard lost contact with the navy after a training drill near the sea in Bali, a navy spokesman told the media on Wednesday.
• Oxygen Supply on Missing Submarine of Indonesian Navy Will Reportedly Last Until Saturday Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Communication was lost with an Indonesian navy submarine as it was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali on Wednesday.
• Singapore Sends Rescue Vessel to Search for Missing Indonesian Submarine, Defence Minister Says Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Singapore has sent the MV Swift Rescue vessel to help Indonesia search for the missing submarine KRI Nanggala 402, Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Thursday.
• Indian Navy dispatches its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel to support Search and Rescue of Missing Indonesian Submarine India PIB 22 Apr 2021 -- Indian Navy dispatched its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) on Thursday to assist Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut (TNI AL - Indonesian Navy) in search and rescue efforts for the Indonesian Submarine KRINanggala which was reported missing on Wednesday 21 Apr 21.
• US Formally Notifies Turkey of Removal From F-35 Deal Over S-400 Purchase, Report Says Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- The United States has officially notified Turkey that it was excluded from the agreement on the F-35 jet production due to its purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, the official Anadolu news agency reported, citing a Pentagon source.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, April 22, 2021 The White House 22 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Kamilov US Dept. of State 22 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tileuberdi US Dept. of State 22 Apr 2021
• Department Press Briefing – April 22, 2021 US Dept. of State 22 Apr 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 22, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 22 April 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Apr 2021
• Philippines Military Chief Says Nation Could Build Structures on Claimed Islands Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- The Philippines' armed forces chief said Thursday the country was considering building structures in areas that Manila claims in the South China Sea, as he accused China of doing so, despite a 2002 agreement barring new or expanded construction in disputed waters.
• Yemen conducts retaliatory drone attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Air Base: Spokesman Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- Yemen's military says it has carried out another successful drone attack against King Khalid Air Base in Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Asir in retaliation for the Riyadh regime's ongoing military aggression and blockade against the country.
• IDF Investigating Why Its Cutting Edge Air Defences Failed to Shoot Down Rogue Syrian Missile Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Israel's Defence Forces announced on Thursday that they had attacked missile batteries in Syria in response to the launch of a Syrian surface-to-air missile that landed near the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre – suspected birthplace of Israel's first nuclear bomb. The launch took place right after a separate Israeli attack on Syria.
• IDF: Surface-to-Air Missile Launched From Syria Was Not Intercepted Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Earlier, the Syrian state-run SANA media outlet reported that Syrian air defence systems repelled an Israeli rocket attack near the capital of Damascus.
• 'Syria missile' lands near Israeli military nuclear facility Dimona Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- The Israeli military says a Syrian missile fired towards an Israeli warplane has overflown its target, landing near the occupying regime's top-secret military nuclear facility Dimona.
• Syria calls on Security Council to take firm action against Israeli aggression Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- Syria has called on the UN Security Council to take "firm and immediate" action to end Israeli acts of aggression following the regime's aerial assault on the Arab country.
• OPCW Condemns Syria's Repeated Use of Chemical Weapons US Dept. of State 22 Apr 2021 -- On April 21, 2021 in The Hague, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Conference of the State Parties adopted a historic decision in response to the Assad regime's continued use and possession of chemical weapons in violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its failure to complete the measures set out in the OPCW Executive Council's July 2020 decision.
• FSB Says Detained Russian National for Leaking Sensitive Military Data to Ukraine Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday the detention of a Russian citizen in the city of Sevastopol on suspicion of leaking information about the activities of the Black Sea Fleet to Ukraine.
• Russian Arrested In Crimea Accused Of Spying For Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- A Russian national suspected of spying for Ukraine has been arrested in the Russian-occupied region of Crimea.
• Ukraine's President Says Russian Troop Pullback Eases Tensions VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- Ukraine's president said Thursday that Russia's troop reduction near the Ukraine border was reducing tensions between the countries but cautioned his country must remain alert.
• Russia Orders Troops Back To Permanent Bases After Drills In Annexed Crimea RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- Moscow says it has ordered its troops to start returning to their permanent bases following extensive military drills in southern Russia and in and around the occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in March 2014.
• UN Security Council Calls for More Aid Access to Ethiopia's Tigray VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- As the conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region enters its sixth month, the U.N. Security Council broke its silence Thursday to call for scaled-up humanitarian access and "a restoration of normalcy."
• It May be 'Many Months' Before Full Scale of Tigray Rapes Known, UN Official Says VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- A senior United Nations official says that it may be many months before the full scale and magnitude of atrocities being committed against women and girls in Ethiopia's Tigray region is known, as more reports of sexual violence emerge from the conflict zone.
• Biden Preparing to Recognize Armenian Genocide, Officials Say VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- U.S. officials say President Joe Biden is preparing to recognize the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
• Biden Expected To Recognize Massacre Of Armenians As 'Genocide' RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden is likely to recognize the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide, media reports say, amid calls for the move by more than 100 U.S. lawmakers.
• Elections could pave way to Palestinian unity, advance peace: UN envoy UN News 22 Apr 2021 -- Expectations are high for the first Palestinian elections in 15 years, UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland told a virtual meeting of the Security Council on Thursday, urging international support for the process.
• Top Hamas official warns against delaying Palestinian elections Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- A top Hamas official has warned that any change to the timetable for the long-awaited Palestinian elections next month would deal a heavy blow to efforts to reconcile the rival administrations in the besieged Gaza Strip and the Israeli occupied West Bank.

News Reports

• Climate change link to displacement of most vulnerable is clear: UNHCR UN News 22 Apr 2021 -- Weather-related crises have triggered more than twice as much displacement as conflict and violence in the last decade, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.
• Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for ISIS-inspired Bombing in New York City Subway Station in 2017 US Dept. of Justice 22 Apr 2021 -- A New York man was sentenced today to life in prison for detonating a bomb in a New York City subway station. He admitted that he conducted the terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
• Slovakia Expels Three Employees of Russian Embassy in Solidarity With Czech Republic Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Three employees of the Russian embassy in Bratislava need to leave Slovakia within one week in light of the situation in the Czech Republic, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Thursday.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow,April 22, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 Apr 2021
• Navalny Ally Urges Him to End Hunger Strike VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- An ally of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has urged Navalny to end his hunger strike, which is in its third week.
• Russia Will Face Sanctions If Navalny Dies, France Says VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday that Russia and President Vladimir Putin will face sanctions if opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies.
• Navalny Expresses 'Pride And Hope' After Protests As Concerns About His Health Mount RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has expressed "pride and hope" after nationwide demonstrations calling for his release amid reports his health is deteriorating.
• Concerns relating to the detention of Alexey Navalny: UK statement UK FCDO 22 Apr 2021 -- Ambassador Neil Bush raises UK concerns about Mr Alexey Navalny's deteriorating health and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
• Freedom of the media in the Russian Federation: UK-Canada statement UK FCDO 22 Apr 2021 -- Ambassador Neil Bush raises concerns about the erosion of independent media and critical voices in Russia at the OSCE Permanent Council.
• Kremlin Explains Russia's 'Red Lines' Are Related to National Interests Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- On Diplomatic Row With Prague
• Putin warns West of harsh response to unfriendly acts People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- Russia vowed on Wednesday to quickly respond to unfriendly acts by the West, spare no effort to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its weapons development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his 17th State of the Nation Address in Moscow.
• Prague-Moscow Tensions Escalate As Czechs Slash Russian Embassy Staff And Slovakia Expels Diplomats RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- The Czech Republic has said it wants more Russian diplomats to leave the country and neighboring Slovakia has decided to eject three Russian Embassy staff in solidarity, as tensions between Prague and Moscow escalate over Russia's alleged role in a deadly 2014 explosion at a Czech arms depot.
• 'Very Dubious': Data Shows Alleged Russian Agents In Bulgaria Around Time Of Arms-Depot Blasts RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- On the evening of March 21, 2015, around 7:30 p.m., the skies over Iganovo burst into fiery shades of red and orange, and the windows of homes in the tiny Bulgarian village rattled and shook.
• Diplomatic Row Between Moscow, Prague Intensifies VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- The Czech Republic on Thursday ordered Russia to remove more staff from its Prague embassy, in a growing spat between the two countries.
• Ph.D. Chemist Convicted of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, Economic Espionage, Theft of Trade Secrets and Wire Fraud US Dept. of Justice 22 Apr 2021 -- A federal jury in Greeneville, Tennessee, convicted a U.S. citizen today of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, economic espionage and wire fraud. Following a twelve-day trial, Dr. Xiaorong You, aka Shannon You, 59, of Lansing, Michigan, was convicted of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, possession of stolen trade secrets, economic espionage, and wire fraud.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 22, 2021 PRC MofA 22 Apr 2021
• U.K. Lawmakers Declare China Is Committing Genocide Against Uyghurs RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- The British House of Commons has approved a parliamentary motion declaring crimes against humanity and genocide are being committed against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in China's northwest Xinjiang province.
• UK Parliament Unanimously Designates Abuses in Xinjiang as Genocide in Historic Vote Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.K.'s lower house of parliament on Thursday unanimously voted to label abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) part of a policy of genocide and crimes against humanity, becoming the third global legislative body to do so.
• Hong Kong Journalist Who Exposed Details of Yuen Long Attacks Fined Over Searches Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- An investigative journalist arrested and tried after she made a documentary exposing the Hong Kong police force's handling of the July 21, 2019 mob attacks on train passengers in Yuen Long was found guilty of "improper searches" of an online car license database on Thursday.
• A Closer Look At China's Controversial Lending Practices Around The World RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- Over the last decade, China has rapidly expanded its financial presence across the globe.
• Canberra's 'wrong decision' over BRI deal is 'bucking the trend of history': FM Global Times 22 Apr 2021 -- China's Foreign Ministry urged Australia to revoke its wrong decision Wednesday to tear up an agreement between Victoria state and China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), asserting what Canberra has done is bucking the development trend of history.
• Full Text: Remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Leaders Summit on Climate PLA Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link from Beijing on Thursday.
• South Korean president urges US's Biden to engage directly with North Korea's Kim Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in has urged his American counterpart, Joe Biden, to initiate a new round of diplomacy with North Korea over its nuclear program, following unsuccessful engagement between Pyongyang and the former US administration that Seoul had brokered.
• North Korean State Agencies "Officially" Resume Smuggling Goods from China Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- State agencies in North Korea have recently resumed "officially" smuggling goods from China for the first time in more than a year, indicating that trade between the northeast Asian neighbors could start flowing again, sources in the country told RFA.
• Exclusive: China-N.Korea border remains closed despite signs of possible trade resumption Global Times 22 Apr 2021 -- China and North Korea have yet to resume cargo and passenger traffic, but there are signs that trade may resume in the future, the Global Times has learned.
• Spokesman: Temporary agreement not on agenda of Vienna talks, Iran does not want lengthy negotiations Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry says achieving a temporary agreement on how to revive Iran's nuclear deal with world powers has never been on the agenda of the ongoing talks between Tehran and other signatories to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• IAEA: Iran installs advanced centrifuges at nuclear site hit by sabotage operation Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reportedly confirmed that Iran has installed extra advanced centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, which was hit by an act of sabotage earlier this month.
• Iran Installs Advanced Uranium Enrichment Centrifuges in Natanz, Reports Say Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Iran has been partly violating the terms of its nuclear agreement, known as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after it was abandoned by the US in 2018. Tehran and the European parties to the deal held negotiations to revive the JCPOA, but Washington has so far refused to remove sanctions from the Iranian economy.
• Millions to face hunger amid Myanmar's worsening crisis: WFP Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- The United Nations (UN) has warned that millions of people in Myanmar are expected to face hunger in the coming months as food insecurity rises sharply in the Southeast Asian country in the wake of a February military coup.
• House-to-House Searches by Myanmar Junta Forces Nab Dozens of Protesters Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- Myanmar junta forces detained dozens of protesters amid searches and arrests of protesters over the past 24 hours, including a schoolteacher and a former ward administrator who were participating in the civil disobedience movement, witnesses said Thursday.
• Interview: Myanmar Police Take Unyielding Detainees in Handcuffs For 'Beatings And Torture' Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021
• Philippine, Thai Leaders Cite COVID-19 for Decision to Skip ASEAN's Myanmar Summit Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- The heads of the Philippine and Thai governments blamed surging COVID-19 infections at home for their decision not to attend a leader-level regional summit on the crisis in Myanmar, amid international expectations for the meeting to deliver "concrete outcomes," officials said Thursday.
• Myanmar's Military Not Accusing Aung San Suu Kyi of Involvement in Unrest at This Stage Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- Myanmar's military government that came to power in February secures all the rights and needs of the ousted national leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and currently has no plans to advance charges over her involvement in the unrest, military government spokesman Gen. Zaw Min Tun said in an interview with Sputnik.
• Food aid operation begins to reach two million affected by Myanmar crisis UN News 22 Apr 2021 -- Two million people facing growing food insecurity linked to the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar are to receive nutrition assistance, amid rising "hunger and desperation", the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday.
• Meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko President of Russia 22 Apr 2021
• In Moscow Talks, Putin And Lukashenka Praise Progress On Union State RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka has met in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking Russia's continued support amid ongoing protests triggered by last year's widely disputed presidential election.
• Beijing Condemns Pakistan Suicide Blast Targeting Chinese Diplomats VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- Officials in Pakistan said Thursday the death toll had risen to at least five from an overnight suicide car bombing of a luxury hotel in a southwestern city, which apparently targeted visiting Chinese diplomats.
• Car bombing outside hotel hosting Chinese envoy leaves 4 dead in Pakistan Press TV 22 Apr 2021 -- At least four people were killed and several others were wounded in Pakistan after a powerful car bomb exploded at a luxury hotel where the Chinese ambassador to the country was reportedly staying in the southwestern city of Quetta.
• 4 killed, over dozen injured in SW Pakistan's hotel bomb blast People's Daily 22 Apr 2021 -- Four people were killed and over a dozen others injured when an explosive-laden vehicle exploded inside the parking of Serena hotel in Quetta, capital city of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province Wednesday night, the country's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said.
• NASA's Mars Rover Makes Its Own Oxygen VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.S space agency NASA says its Perseverance rover has converted carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Martian atmosphere to oxygen, a critical step toward future human exploration of Mars.
• Serbian Leader Talks Up Ties To Biden, Says 'No Interest' In 'Greater Serbia' RFE/RL 22 Apr 2021 -- Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic highlighted what he said were good personal relations with U.S. President Joe Biden amid expectations that the new U.S. administration could take a tougher stance on the rollback of democracy in the Balkan nation.
• Jordan Releases 16 People Linked to Security Breach Case, State Media Says Sputnik 22 Apr 2021 -- The Jordanian Public Prosecutor on Thursday released 16 people linked to the recent feud within the royal family, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
• French Foreign Minister Backs Chad's Transitional Military Council VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- France's foreign minister is defending the takeover of Chad's government by a transitional military council.
• Human Rights Law NGO Hits Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand for Using Coronavirus to Control Media Radio Free Asia 22 Apr 2021 -- An international human rights law NGO Thursday criticized the governments of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam for using the COVID-19 pandemic to enact new laws that would allow them to more tightly control the media.