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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• More US Firepower Ready as Afghanistan Withdrawal Gets Under Way VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- U.S. military planners have a growing number of options should the Taliban, or any other group, decide to target American and NATO troops as they prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan.
• More B-52 Bombers Arrive in Qatar to Protect US Troop Pullout From Afghanistan Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- Two additional B-52 bombers have arrived in Qatar to provide security for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that will begin May 1, the Air Force said on Monday.
• Several Afghan Youths Wounded After Rocket Hits Koran Reciting Competition RFE/RL Gandhara 26 Apr 2021 -- An Afghan provincial governor says 16 people, mostly young boys and teenagers, were wounded after a rocket landed in his office compound in the eastern province of Kunar.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary Conducts a Briefing to Reporters DoD 26 Apr 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
• Japan-American partnership builds cyber defense capacity US Air Force 26 Apr 2021 -- Members of U.S. Pacific Air Forces and Japan Air Self-Defense Force visited the 552nd Air Control Networks Squadron to build cyber-defense capacity, April 4-10.
• Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures Company Uses UUVs to Complete Certification Exercise US Navy 26 Apr 2021 -- Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 2, completed their pre-deployment Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures (ExMCM) Advanced Certification Exercise (CERTEX) at Naval Support Activity Panama City, April 16.
• U.S Coast Guard Strengthens Trans-Atlantic ties with Italy US Navy 26 Apr 2021 -- The Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) conducted operations in the Mediterranean Sea with the Italian Coast Guard and Italian Navy, April 23, 2021.
• U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard operate together in the Aegean Sea US Navy 26 Apr 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) conducted interoperability exercises with the Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) in the Aegean Sea, April 26, 2021.
• F-35 RRT meets maintenance needs in dual deployments US Navy 26 Apr 2021 -- Aircraft maintenance professionals with Fleet Readiness Center East's F-35 Rapid Response Team play a critical role in keeping the Marine Corps' F-35B Lightning II fleet healthy.
• Vietnam, China agree to strengthen bilateral ties, military cooperation PLA Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday respectively met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
• Record size and scope of Carrier Strike Group deployment announced UK MOD 26 Apr 2021 -- The largest concentration of maritime and air power to the UK in a generation will set sail next month, visiting more than 40 countries.
• UK carrier strike group will sail to India on its maiden deployment UK MOD 26 Apr 2021 -- The UK’s Carrier Strike Group 2021, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, will sail to India in the autumn on its maiden operational deployment.
• DRDO develops Single Crystal Blades for helicopter engine application India PIB 26 Apr 2021 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed single crystal blades technology and supplied 60 of these blades to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of their indigenous helicopter development program for helicopter engine application.
• Israel gets F-35 fighter jets from US in first under Biden Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Three more F-35 fighter jets have arrived in Israel from the United States, the Israeli military says, marking Washington's commitment to maintaining Tel Aviv's alleged military edge in the Middle East.
• Relatives Pay Respects to Sailors Who Died in Sinking of Indonesian Submarine VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Relatives of the sailors who died in the sinking of a German-made KRI Nanggala-402 submarine grieved their lost loved ones on the shore of Bali Monday and urged authorities to recover their bodies, according to Reuters reports.
• Indonesia finds missing submarine, all 53 crew members dead People's Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- The wreckage of the missing Indonesian submarine was located on the sea floor off Bali Island on Sunday with all 53 crew members aboard dead, top military officers said.
• Rescue ships find more authentic evidences of wreckage from Indonesia's missing submarine People's Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- The Indonesian Military (TNI) on Sunday afternoon said that rescue ships have found the location and more authentic evidence of wreckage of the missing submarine KRI Nanggala-402 in the ocean floor off Bali's northern coast.
• 'Lack of Adequate Training': Report Reprimands Norwegian Navy Over Loss of Frigate Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- The KNM Helge Ingstad crashed into an oil tanker and sank after NATO's largest military drills in Norway, leaving a huge gap in the Norwegian Navy's defence capability and a $600 million dent in the state coffers as well as becoming a major stain on its reputation.
• Briefing with Acting Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Robert F. Godec on the Secretary's Upcoming Virtual Travel to Kenya and Nigeria US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, April 26, 2021 The White House 26 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021
• Department Press Briefing – April 26, 2021 US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 26, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 26 April 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Apr 2021
• Taiwan capable of repelling attack on its South China Sea islands: MND CNA 26 Apr 2021 -- Taiwan's existing defense systems on two of its islands in the disputed South China Sea are capable of deterring any attempted invasion by Chinese forces, Taiwanese defense officials said Monday.
• China publishes landform survey report on Diaoyu Islands PLA Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- China's Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday published a landform survey report on the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands.
• Yemeni drones strike King Khalid airbase in southwest Saudi Arabia Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Yemen's armed forces and allied Popular Committees fighters have conducted a retaliatory drone strike on King Khalid Airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
• Turkey's Erdogan Slams Biden Over Armenian Genocide Statement RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 26 denounced U.S. President Joe Biden's recognition of the Armenian genocide, saying the move would have a "destructive impact" on relations between the two countries.
• U.S. says Turkey committed "genocide" in Armenia People's Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday openly recognized the mass killing of Armenians more than a century ago as a "genocide," while Turkey immediately denounced the move.
• Erdogan Demands Biden Reverse Armenian Genocide Declaration VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday demanded that U.S. President Joe Biden reverse his declaration that the World War I-era massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide.
• Turkish forces seize northern Iraq village as they continue anti-PKK operations Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Turkish military forces have reportedly established control over a village in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region as they are pressing ahead with a military campaign in the area against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group.
• Libyan interim PM postpones Benghazi visit amid continued friction between rival camps Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- The Libyan government has postponed interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh's first visit to the eastern city of Benghazi—a bastion of renegade General Khalifa Haftar-- amid continued friction between rival camps in the North African country.
• US Keeping Wary Eye on Russian Troops Near Ukraine VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- U.S. officials are not yet convinced Russia is making good on its word to de-escalate in Crimea and along its border with Ukraine following a weekslong military buildup, insisting it is "too soon to tell."
• Hamas warns Israel of 'no calm' if regime's hostile measures continue Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has warned the Israeli regime that if it continues its hostile measures against the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, it will see no calm.
• Attacks by an Ethnic Militia Kill Some 15 Junta Troops in Myanmar's Chin State Radio Free Asia 26 Apr 2021 -- As many as 15 Myanmar soldiers were killed in western Chin state Monday by a newly formed ethnic militia, one of whose fighters vowed to "inflict damage" on the junta that ousted the country's elected government, witnesses and a local rights group said.
• Chad's French-backed junta rejects truce offer from rebels Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Chad's ruling junta has dismissed a truce and negotiations offer from the Central African nation's northern rebels, slamming them as "outlaws" that should be traced and detained for their role in the recent death of long-time President Idriss Deby.
• Total declares Force Majeure on Mozambique LNG project TOTAL 26 Apr 2021 -- Considering the evolution of the security situation in the north of the Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, Total confirms the withdrawal of all Mozambique LNG project personnel from the Afungi site. This situation leads Total, as operator of Mozambique LNG project, to declare force majeure.
• DR Congo: 'Relentless' violence worsening plight of children in Ituri province UN News 26 Apr 2021 -- A recent spike in inter-community violence in the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is worsening the plight of children there, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said on Monday, urging greater international support.
• Venezuelan Military Says Fighting Ongoing Near Colombian Border, Several Troops Dead Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- The Venezuelan armed forces on Monday reported continuous fighting with militants at the border with Colombia in the state of Apure, which has resulted in casualties and injuries.

News Reports

• Top US Spy Agency Establishing Centre to Counter Foreign Influence Operations, Reports Say Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is working to establish a federal government hub to combat foreign meddling, Politico reported on Monday.
• How Global Network of Journalists Helps Expose Organized Crime VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Before she was murdered in 2017, Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating two companies named in the Panama Papers – a leak of millions of records that exposed corruption in offshore finance.
• UK sanctions 22 individuals involved in serious international corruption UK FCDO 26 Apr 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced the UK's first sanctions under the new Global Anti-Corruption regime.
• On the United Kingdom's Establishment of a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021 -- The United States commends the United Kingdom on the establishment of a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime, which reinforces the U.S.-UK partnership in the fight against corruption and illicit finance.
• Statement by Secretary Janet Yellen On the United Kingdom's Establishment of a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime US Treasury 26 Apr 2021 -- The United States Department of the Treasury welcomes the enactment today of the United Kingdom's new Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime, which builds upon the success of the United Kingdom's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
• Violence in Mogadishu US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021 -- "The United States is gravely concerned by the violent clashes yesterday in Mogadishu. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve their differences peacefully."
• Somali Prime Minister Calls for Calm After Political Violence in Mogadishu VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has called for calm and dialogue after overnight clashes in the capital between backers and opponents of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as "Farmajo." Analysts worry the political stand-off over parliament's term extension for Farmajo could quickly turn into an armed conflict.
• Somali opposition fighters cordon off parts of capital Mogadishu Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Somali opposition fighters have taken up position in parts of the capital, Mogadishu, in protest against the president's bid to extend his mandate.
• Somalia's Prime Minister Urges Conflicting Sides to Start Dialogue Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Monday urged dialogue as the best way to resolve the current crisis in the country.
• Ukrainian Spy Who Tried to Obtain S-300 Parts Sentenced to 10 Years in Russian Prison Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- Ukraine itself still uses several dozen S-300 systems although the models are older than those utilised by Russia. It is unclear, however, why the spy was trying to obtain the parts and if they were for newer versions of the air defence system.
• Russia expels Italian diplomat in tit-for-tat move amid espionage charges Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Russia has decided to expel an Italian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move following the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Rome last month over an alleged espionage charge.
• Russia Expels Italian Diplomat in Tit-For-Tat Move Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- According to an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, a staff member from the Italian Embassy will have to leave the country in 24 hours.
• Czech president discounts alleged Russia role in 2014 depot blast Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Czech President Milos Zeman has expressed doubts about alleged Russian involvement in the 2014 ammunition dump blast in the central European nation that sparked a major row with Moscow, which fiercely denied the accusation.
• Czech Government Rejects President's Comments Casting Doubt On Russian Role In Arms Depot Blast RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- The Czech government on April 26 reiterated that evidence linking Russian GRU military intelligence to arms depot explosions in 2014 is "very convincing," after President Milos Zeman cast doubt over allegations that have sparked a deep diplomatic rift with Russia.
• Czech Defense Ministry Says Vrbetice Warehouses Did Not Store Banned Weapons Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- The Czech Defense Ministry on Monday rejected reports that the warehouses in Vrbetice that blew up in 2014 stored illegal weaponry.
• Romania To Expel Russian Diplomat Amid Prague-Moscow Dispute Over Arms Depot Blast RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- Romania says it is expelling a Russian diplomat, the latest European country to do so amid a diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Prague over Russia's alleged role in a deadly 2014 explosion at a Czech arms depot.
• Russia Expels Italian Diplomat; Rome Calls Move 'Unfounded And Unjust' RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- Russia has expelled an Italian diplomat over what it said was an "unjustified" move by Rome to expel two Russian diplomats in March.
• Romania Declares Russian Deputy Military Attache Persona Non Grata Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- Bucharest also summoned Russian Ambassador Valery Kuzmin to notify him of the decision made by the Romanian authorities.
• Russian Opposition Figure Navalny Files Three Lawsuits Against Prison Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- A district court in Russia's Vladimir Region has received three lawsuits from opposition activist Alexey Navalny against the prison where he is serving his sentence, he complains about the withdrawal of books, censorship of newspapers, and recognition as a person prone to escape, the court told Sputnik on Monday.
• Russia Orders Navalny Offices Shut VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Russian authorities ordered all offices of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny closed Monday as a court reviews a request from state prosecutors to label his Anti-Corruption Foundation an "extremist" group.
• Activities At Navalny Offices Suspended By Russian Court RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- The Moscow City Prosecutor's Office has suspended all activities at the offices of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's headquarters across the country and asked the Moscow City Court to do the same for Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the Citizens' Rights Protection Foundation (FZPG).
• China releases counter-espionage regulations People's Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- China's Ministry of State Security on Monday issued regulations on counter-espionage security work, which take effect upon promulgation.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 26, 2021 PRC MofA 26 Apr 2021
• China voices opposition to willful use of unilateral sanctions Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- China says it is firmly against the willful use of unilateral sanctions or the threat of imposing them in dealing with international relations and issues.
• Liaison office of central gov't in HKSAR criticizes bar association chief for whitewashing violence, challenging rule of law People's Daily 26 Apr 2021 -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday refuted fallacious remarks by the chair of the Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) Paul Harris, saying he backed up lawbreakers, slandered law enforcement agencies and put pressure on the judiciary.
• Taiwan Church Website Blocked by Hong Kong National Security Police Radio Free Asia 26 Apr 2021 -- National security police in Hong Kong have apparently blocked the website of a church on the democratic island of Taiwan and hacked into its database after it raised funds to aid people fleeing arrest in connection with the 2019 protest movement, organizers told RFA on Monday.
• China Trolls Circulate Fake Taiwan Presidential Office Memo on Social Media Radio Free Asia 26 Apr 2021 -- Images of falsified a Taiwan Presidential Office memo circulated widely online this month, angering the island's democratic government by claiming that Taiwan had agreed to receive the nuclear wastewater from Fukushima, Japan.
• North Korea Bans Criticism of China and Prejudice Towards Ethnic Chinese Residents Radio Free Asia 26 Apr 2021 -- Authorities in North Korea have threatened to punish citizens caught criticizing China or acting in a discriminatory manner toward the country's ethnic Chinese residents, sources told RFA.
• Foreign Ministry: Zarif quotes taken out of context, do not reflect official stance Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's remarks leaked on Sunday have been taken out of context, adding they were part of a classified discussion that was "illegally" published, and by no means reflected the official stance of the Islamic Republic.
• JCPOA Joint Commission Meeting to be held on April 27 IRNA 26 Apr 2021 -- The JCPOA Joint Commission Meeting will be held in Vienna tomorrow (April 27).
• Rouhani: World has no choice but to reach an agreement with Iran and lift sanctions IRNA 26 Apr 2021 -- President Hassan Rouhani on Monday referred to the talks on reviving Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna and said that Vienna negotiations show Iran's power and the world has accepted that there is no other way but to agree with Iran and lift sanctions today and this is a great success for the Iranian people.
• Removal of all sanctions is national demand IRNA 26 Apr 2021 -- Iran's Judiciary Chief announced Monday that national demand is removal of all sanctions, and verification of the end to the sanctions as well.
• FM spox: Iranian negotiators in Vienna to attend JCPOA joint commission IRNA 26 Apr 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that Iranian delegation has arrived in Vienna to participate in the JCPOA joint commission meeting.
• Iran still has serious differences in Vienna talks: Khatibzadeh ISNA 26 Apr 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman announced that Iranian negotiating delegation has departed for Vienna on Monday to attend the JCPOA joint commission meeting.
• World admits to failure of US economic war against Iran: President Rouhani Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the whole world has admitted that the economic war launched by the United States against Iran has failed thanks to the resistance of the Iranian people.
• British-Iranian Aid Worker Gets Another Year In Iran Prison RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- The lawyer of British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says she has been sentenced to another year in prison in Iran and given a one-year ban on leaving the country, in what London called a "totally inhumane" decision.
• Iran's IRGC Vessels Harass US Ships in Persian Gulf - Reports Sputnik 26 Apr 2021 -- Boats from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed US Coast Guard ships earlier this month in the Persian Gulf, the first such altercation in a year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
• Observers: ASEAN Should Give Myanmar Junta Timeline for Acting on Consensus Radio Free Asia 26 Apr 2021 -- ASEAN needs to set a timeline for implementing actions announced at a summit of regional leaders on Myanmar last weekend, analysts said, even as another civilian was shot dead in that country Monday despite the meeting's call for an immediate end to violence.
• Don't pay electricity bills: Myanmar's anti-junta activists to nation Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Activists opposed to Myanmar's junta have called for refusal to pay electricity bills and agricultural loans as part of a larger civil disobedience campaign in the wake of the February 1 coup.
• Russia favors internal solution to Myanmar crisis, Kremlin says as Myanmar junta postpones Suu Kyi court Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Russia has voiced concern about the situation in Myanmar, saying it favors an internal solution to tension in the wake of a February 1 military coup in the country.
• Myanmar's Deposed Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Makes New Court Appearance VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Myanmar's deposed de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi made another court appearance Monday as the country's regional neighbors increase pressure on the military junta to bring an end to the deadly chaos.
• NASA Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Flies Faster, Farther Than Ever VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- U.S. space agency NASA said the experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity — in its third flight Sunday on the red planet — flew farther and faster than ever, including during test flights on Earth.
• Turkey Puts 108 Pro-Kurdish Party Officials on Trial VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- One hundred and eight prominent members of Turkey's pro-Kurdish HDP went on trial in the capital, Ankara, Monday in connection with violent nationwide protests in 2014 that left 37 people dead.
• Questions Over Missing Billions Pose Challenge for Erdogan VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be finding himself cornered over opposition claims that his government $128 billion squandered in defending Turkey's currency, the lira.
• Zelenskiy In Chernobyl Exclusion Zone To Mark 35th Anniversary Of Disaster RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the international community to work together to prevent a repeat of the Chernobyl disaster on the 35th anniversary of what is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history.
• 'Disasters know no borders' says Guterres, 35 years on from Chernobyl nuclear accident UN News 26 Apr 2021 -- In his message for Chernobyl International Remembrance Day on Monday, the UN chief reminded that "disasters know no borders".
• Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Giammattei of the Republic of Guatemala Before Virtual Bilateral Meeting The White House 26 Apr 2021
• The United States Sanctions Guatemalan Officials for Corruption US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021 -- Today, the United States is imposing sanctions on one current and one former Guatemalan government official—Gustavo Adolfo Alejos Cambara and Felipe Alejos Lorenzana, respectively—for their role in corruption in Guatemala.
• Treasury Sanctions Current and Former Guatemalan Officials for Engaging in Corrupt Activities US Treasury 26 Apr 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one current and one former Guatemalan government official for their roles in corruption in Guatemala.
• U.S. Commitment to the Western Balkans US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021 -- "The United States is committed to supporting the countries of the Western Balkans on their path to European integration and membership in key European and Euro-Atlantic institutions."
• Venezuela's Maduro slams US plan to divert frozen funds to Guaido-led opposition Press TV 26 Apr 2021 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has slammed Washington's plan to transfer $150 million of the country's frozen funds from offshore accounts to the opposition led by Juan Guaido.
• Bulgaria Lurches Toward Fresh Elections After New Antiestablishment Party Can't Form Government RFE/RL 26 Apr 2021 -- Bulgaria's new antiestablishment party, There Is Such A People (TSN), says that it will not try to form a government, increasing the odds that the southeastern EU member will hold fresh elections.
• Moldovan Parliament's Attempt to Undermine Democracy US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2021 -- The Moldovan Parliament's attempt to replace Constitutional Court President Domnica Manole with a candidate of its own choosing on April 23 constitutes a blatant attack on Moldova's democratic norms and its constitutional order.
• Pressure is on for US, EU to Impose Lebanon Sanctions VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- se analysts are calling on the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on their politicians who they say are subverting the formation of new government. The U.S. and France say Lebanon needs a new government of nonpartisan specialists who will carry out long overdue reforms and steer Lebanon out of its worst financial crisis since its 1975-90 Civil War.