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News Reports

Current Operations

• State Department Orders Some U.S. Staff Out Of Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 27 Apr 2021 -- The State Department has issued a travel advisory ordering U.S. government employees out of the Afghan capital, Kabul, if their work can be done elsewhere.
• Key Diplomat Says Do Not Underestimate Afghan Security Forces VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- U.S. lawmakers worried about the impending withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan got a dose of cautious optimism from the diplomat who helped negotiate last year's deal with the Taliban that paved the way for the upcoming pullout.
• Taliban to Face Sanctions, Isolation if They Obstruct Afghan Peace Deal, US Envoy Says Sputnik 27 Apr 2021 -- The Taliban movement will face sanctions and isolation from the United States and its allies if it obstructs efforts to reach a peace deal in Afghanistan, US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said in a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
• US deploys 2 more bombers to Qatar to stand by for Afghanistan ops Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- The United States has dispatched two additional bombers to Qatar to carry out airstrikes in Afghanistan if needed, as the Pentagon and NATO begin a complete troop withdrawal from the Asian country in earnest in the coming days.

Defense Policy / Programs

• IRGCN Interaction with U.S. Naval Vessels in the North Arabian Gulf US Navy Press Release 27 Apr 2021 -- At approximately 8 p.m. on April 26, three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) failed to exercise due regard for the safety of other vessels as required under international law as they came into close proximity to U.S. naval vessels in international waters of the north Arabian Gulf.
• Unsafe and Unprofessional Interaction with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) US Navy Press Release 27 Apr 2021 -- On April 2, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) Harth 55, accompanied by three fast attack craft (FAC)/fast inshore attack craft (FIAC), approached U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332) and USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326) while the U.S. vessels were conducting routine maritime security patrols in the international waters of the southern Arabian Gulf.
• US Ship Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Attack Craft VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- A U.S. ship in the North Arabian Sea resorted to firing warnings shots to get three Iranian attack craft to back off following a close encounter in international waters.
• US Navy Fires Warning Shots After Three Iranian Vessels Make Close Approach in Persian Gulf Sputnik 27 Apr 2021 -- American and Iranian vessels previously came in close contact earlier this month in the international waters off the southern Persian Gulf, however, the April 2 encounter did not result warning shots.
• Iranian Ships, U.S. Coast Guard Vessels Meet In Tense Gulf Encounter RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The United States says boats from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) harassed two U.S. Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf early this month, in what the U.S. Navy described as the first such incident in a year.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 27 Apr 2021
• Pentagon Press Secretary Holds Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 27 Apr 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
• Regional Solutions Needed to Address Middle East Security, General Says DoD News 27 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Central Command is the only geographic combatant command that routinely engages with U.S. adversaries, including violent extremist groups that aim to destabilize the region, its commander said today.
• U.S. Army-delivered helipad projects at hospitals in Croatia to hasten emergency medical care and save lives Army News 27 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is delivering three modern helicopter landing zones at hospitals across Croatia to help reduce transportation times in emergency situations and ultimately save lives.
• HMLA-267 Demonstrates Offensive Air Support During Distributed Maritime Operations USMC News 27 Apr 2021 -- As hostile forces seized nearby islands, isolating western portions of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Area of Responsibility, they cut off vital sea lines of communication to the east.
• 31st FW, multinational allies conclude INIOCHOS 21 US Air Force 27 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Airmen and F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, participated in exercise INIOCHOS 21 at Andravida Air Base April 12–22.
• NATO partners discuss command and control leading up to AK21 US Air Force 27 Apr 2021 -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa hosted the first Command and Control Commanders' Conference with the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence Center of Excellence at the NATO Missile Firing Installation conference center April 20-21, in Crete, Greece.
• U.S. Coast Guard Cutter enters the Black Sea US Navy 27 Apr 2021 -- The Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) transited into the Black Sea in support of NATO Allies and partners, April 27, 2021.
• NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Bahrain Provides Logistics Support to Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group US Navy 27 Apr 2021 -- Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Bahrain delivered logistics support to the Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) while it operated in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) during the month of April.
• Unmanned Battle Problem Missile Launch Integrates Manned and Unmanned Systems US Navy 27 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. Navy launched a missile at a long-range target successfully as a part of Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21 off the coast of San Diego, April 25.
• U.S. Sixth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Black Visits Croatia US Navy 27 Apr 2021 -- Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, visited Rijeka, Croatia, on April 27th to speak with Croatian military leadership and meet with crews of three U.S. Navy ships undergoing lifecycle maintenance at the Viktor Lenac shipyard.
• Secretary General welcomes Prime Minister of Slovakia to NATO Headquarters NATO 27 Apr 2021 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister Eduard Heger of Slovakia to NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (27 April 2021). Mr Stoltenberg praised Slovakia's contributions to the Alliance, including support to training missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Slovakia's participation in NATO's multinational battlegroup in Latvia.
• Russia senses increasing military threat from US, NATO Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says actions by the United States and NATO in Europe are contributing to an increased military threat to Russia.
• China's new amphibious assault ship to carry multi-type helicopters, 'enters world-class' ranks People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- The newly commissioned amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will carry multiple types of helicopters including those for assault, transport and reconnaissance, and analysts said on Tuesday that the vessel is of world-class standard and can serve its purpose well in islands and reefs close to the Chinese mainland despite the lack of fixed wing fighter jet like the US' F-35B.
• PLA Army's air defense force integrates into Air Force's chain of command PLA Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Recently, according to Liang Chengming, an officer assigned to the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command (WTC), more than ten air defense units from the PLA Army have been integrated into the chain of command of the air force under the PLA WTC.
• Bangladesh, China agree to increase military cooperation PLA Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Bangladesh's President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe here and the two sides agreed to advance the bilateral military cooperation.
• Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon passes UN annual defense capability assessment PLA Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- The 19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer contingent to Lebanon successfully passed the 2021 annual defense capability assessment conducted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on April 26.
• 104th Mekong River joint patrol begins PLA Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Law-enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand joined forces Tuesday for the 104th Mekong River joint patrol.
• French govt. threatens to punish military officials critical of Macron Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- The French government has threatened to punish the military officials and servicemen that signed a letter criticizing President Emmanuel Macron's policies toward the country's refugee crisis, social security, and the Muslim world.
• Biden's Initial Steps to Repair Global Ties Receive Praise in Europe, Asia VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- European leaders and other American allies say President Joe Biden has done much in his first 100 days in the White House to start rebuilding confidence in U.S. leadership.
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on National Security and Foreign Policy in President Biden's First 100 Days The White House 27 Apr 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, April 27, 2021 The White House 27 Apr 2021
• Readout of Jake Sullivan's Bilateral Meeting with Israeli NSA Meir Ben-Shabbat The White House 27 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Nigerian President Buhari and Foreign Minister Onyeama US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before Virtual Meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before Virtual Meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Virtual Meeting with Kenyan President Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Omamo US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 27, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 27 April 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Apr 2021
• 'Do the right thing' and protect civilian infrastructure during conflict: UN relief chief UN News 27 Apr 2021 -- Ensuring warring parties respect international humanitarian law is the first step towards protecting civilians and critical infrastructure during conflict, the UN's top aid official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
• S. Korea strongly protests against Japan's renewed territorial claims to islets People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- South Korea lodged a strong protest Tuesday against Japan's renewed territorial claims to the Dokdo islets, called Takeshima by Japan lying halfway between the two countries.
• Philippine Senators Sign Resolution against China's 'Creeping Hegemony' in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2021 -- Philippine opposition senators, in a resolution Tuesday, accused Beijing of "creeping hegemony" in the South China Sea through what they described as the illegal presence of Chinese ships in Manila's exclusive economic zone.
• Yemeni gov't, Houthi rebels exchange 21 prisoners in Marib via local mediation: source People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Forces loyal to the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group exchanged a new batch of 21 prisoners in the country's turbulent province of Marib on Monday, a military official told Xinhua.
• Yemeni forces come within 2 km from Ma'rib amid lightning advances Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Yemen's defense forces have advanced to as far as only two kilometers from the strategic west-central city of Ma'rib, the gateway to potential liberation of much more of their homeland amid an ongoing Saudi Arabia-led aggression.
• Saudi claims intercepting 'explosive-laden' boat off Red Sea port Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Saudi Arabia claims its navy forces have intercepted and destroyed a "remote-controlled explosive-laden" boat off its Red Sea port of Yanbu.
• US, Saudi Arabia, UAE intentionally violate ceasefire agreement in Hudaydah: Yemeni FM Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Yemen's Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah says the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) blatantly ignore the provisions of a ceasefire agreement reached between the warring Yemeni sides during a round of UN-sponsored negotiations in Sweden in December 2018, stressing that peace needs effective confidence-building measures so it can prevail.
• Iraqi Kurds Fear Escalation of Iran-Backed Rocket Attacks VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- Iraqi Kurds, who played a key role in the fighting against the Islamic State terror group, are now concerned about a new threat: Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
• Ethnic rebels in Myanmar 'seize army base' near Thai border Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- A major armed group in Myanmar says it has captured an outpost of the army near the country's eastern border with Thailand, as armed resistance ramps up against the military junta.
• Myanmar Rebels Claim to Have Captured Army Base Near Thai Border VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- A Myanmar ethnic rebel group says it has taken over an army outpost near the eastern border with Thailand.
• Thailand Evacuates Villagers from Border after Karen Rebels Attack Burmese Army Outpost Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2021 -- Hundreds of Thai villagers who live along Thailand's border with Myanmar were evacuated to safe areas after Karen rebels attacked a Burmese army outpost near the frontier on Tuesday, the governor of Mae Hong Song province said.
• Turkish Nationalist Party Calls for Activating S-400 After US Recognises Armenian Genocide Sputnik 27 Apr 2021 -- The leader of Turkey's right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, on Tuesday called on the government to put the Russian-made S-400 air defence systems on combat duty in response to US President Joe Biden's official recognition of the 1915 massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.
• Dozens Jailed Over Deadly 2020 Ethnic Clashes In Kazakhstan RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- A court in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl region has handed down sentences to 51 defendants in a case over deadly ethnic clashes that shocked the Central Asian country in February 2020.
• Rights Group Accuses Israel of Acts That Amount to Crimes Against Humanity VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- A human rights group has accused Israel of committing crimes against Palestinians that it says are tantamount to crimes against humanity.
• Israel plans "serious airstrike" on Gaza if rocket fire continues: media People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Israeli security cabinet authorized on Monday "a serious airstrike" on the Gaza Strip if rocket fire from the enclave continues, local Israeli media reported.
• Zelenskiy Warns That Russian Troops Can Return At 'Any Moment' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged the Ukrainian military to remain on alert despite Russia's drawdown of its troops from the country's borders, saying they could return "at any moment."
• Surge in violence in DRC's Ituri worsens plight for children: UNICEF People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- A recent surge in armed insurgency and intercommunal violence in the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is worsening the plight of children, with serious violations against women and children being reported, said the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday.
• US Continues Non-Humanitarian 'Assistance Pause' to Pressure Ethiopia to End Tigray Conflict VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- The United States is pressing Ethiopia to end the conflict in its Tigray region that has been raging for almost six months. U.S. officials are also calling for allied Eritrean troops to withdraw from the region.
• Erdogan calls on Biden to reverse Armenian "genocide" statement People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately reverse his declaration that designated the atrocities to Armenians during World War I as "genocide."
• Erdogan to Biden: US must look in mirror before accusing Turks of genocide Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on US President Joe Biden to reverse a decision to name the 1915 massacre of Armenians by the former Ottoman Empire "genocide," warning that the declaration would harm bilateral ties.
• UK Foreign Secretary travels to Geneva for key Cyprus talks UK FCDO 27 Apr 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will be attending talks hosted by the UN in Geneva this week on the Cyprus problem.
• UN-Mediated Talks to Reunify Cyprus Under Way VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- Three days of U.N.-mediated talks are under way to try and reunify the island of Cyprus, which has been divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since 1974. That was when Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus in response to a Greek-backed military coup on the island.
• UN chief 'realistic' at start of fresh bid to resolve Cyprus stalemate UN News 27 Apr 2021 -- A fresh United Nations-led bid to seek to resolve decades of tensions in Cyprus began in Geneva on Tuesday, with Secretary-General António Guterres "realistic" about the chances of making progress, his Spokesperson said.

News Reports

• US Homeland Security calls domestic extremism 'most lethal threat', to investigate its own ranks Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- The US Department of Homeland Security says it will launch investigation into the threat of domestic violent extremism within its own ranks, calling extremist ideology the most lethal terrorism-related threat to the United States.
• DHS Announces Operation to Target Criminal Smuggling Organizations DHS 27 Apr 2021 -- Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced a new counter-network targeting operation focused on transnational criminal organizations affiliated with the smuggling of migrants.
• US Pledges 'All Available Tools' to Support Somalia's Farmaajo as Term Extension Bid Crumbles Sputnik 27 Apr 2021 -- The African Horn nation of Somalia has large mineral and hydrocarbon reserves, including petroleum and uranium, but decades of brutal war and civil war have largely blocked multinational firms from extracting them until fairly recently, when the pro-US government began signing offshore gas exploration deals.
• Fearing new bout of fighting, civilians flee homes in Somali capital Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Civilians caught in the middle of fighting between government forces and armed opposition militia in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu have started to flee their homes, as disagreements over President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's extension of his own term takes on increasingly violent forms.
• Somalia: UN condemns violence, warns against escalation of fighting UN News 27 Apr 2021 -- The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) issued a statement on Tuesday, alongside international partners, strongly condemning an outbreak of violence in the capital Mogadishu and urging all sides to "exercise maximum restraint, resume dialogue, and avoid unilateral actions that may lead to a further escalation".
• Russia expels Italian military diplomat in retaliation People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it is expelling a military attache of the Italian Embassy in Moscow in a retaliatory measure.
• Slovak, Baltic Ambassadors 'Summoned To Russia's Foreign Ministry' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Slovakia and the three Baltic states on April 28, Russian news agencies said on April 27 without reporting a reason.
• Kyiv Expels Russian Consul in Odesa In Latest Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- Ukraine has declared the Russian consul in the Black Sea port city of Odesa as 'persona non grata' after a second Ukrainian diplomat was kicked out of Russia in an ongoing diplomatic spat between the two countries.
• Syria backs Russia's efforts to stand against West's escalatory moves, Assad says Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his country supports Russian efforts to confront the escalatory steps taken by certain Western countries and the US-led NATO military alliance to provoke hostilities, especially in the eastern Ukraine region.
• Navalny Groups Vow To Carry On After Moscow Court Suspends 'Certain Activities' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- A Russian court has approved a motion by prosecutors to suspend some of the activities of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and his Citizens' Rights Defense Foundation (FZPG).
• Prosecutor Seeking 'Extremist' Tag For Navalny Groups Was The Subject Of A Corruption Exposé By Navalny RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The state prosecutor spearheading a potentially devastating bid to brand Aleksei Navalny's network of organizations "extremist" is no stranger to the Kremlin foe: In 2019, a report by Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) alleged that the lawman's family controlled undeclared property worth millions of dollars.
• Journalists, Activists Under Pressure In Moscow After Navalny Rally RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- Journalists and activists are under pressure in Moscow for being at a rally earlier this month demanding the immediate release of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 27, 2021 PRC MofA 27 Apr 2021
• Australia 'is sick', needs to take medicine: China's Foreign Ministry People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- China is not responsible for the current difficulties facing China-Australia relations. It is the Australian side that torn up the cooperation agreement between China and Australia, sabotaging normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Hong Kong Police Launch Probe Into Organizers of Mass Protest Marches Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2021 -- Police in Hong Kong are investigating a group that has organized a string of mass protest marches over more than two decades since the city was handed back to China in 1997, the group's officials and former officials said.
• Chinese Smart TV-Maker Accused of Spying on Owners' Other Devices Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2021 -- A China-based manufacturer of smart televisions has been accused of spying on its users by scanning their homes for other devices connected to the wifi network every few minutes, owners of the devices have reported on social media.
• GT exclusive: China's first integrated base supporting rocket building, sea launch to be 'operational in May' Global Times 27 Apr 2021 -- China's new rocket base specially designed to support seaborne rocket launches, located in the coastal city of Haiyang, East China's Shandong Province, will become operational in May, and it will be capable of general assembly and testing for at least 10 solid-propellant rockets per year, a project leader disclosed to the Global Times on Tuesday.
• China Urges Australia Not to Abandon Support for Taiwan Reunification VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- China cautioned Australia to abide by its 'One China' policy after a senior Australian on Sunday warned of a potential conflict over Taiwanese independence.
• Russian envoy: JCPOA participants agree on full restoration of nuclear deal IRNA 27 Apr 2021 -- Permanent Representative of Russia to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov on Tuesday said that "participants are guided by the unity of purpose which is the full restoration of the nuclear deal in its original form".
• Iran, Russia, China call for immediate lifting of all US sanctions against Tehran ISNA 27 Apr 2021 -- Trilateral meeting was held between the heads of Iranian, Chinese and Russian delegations ahead of the resumption of the meetings of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA in Vienna.
• Iran, Russia, China: US must lift sanctions all at once as prerequisite to rejoining JCPOA Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Heads of the Iranian, Russian and Chinese delegations to the Vienna talks have once again emphasized that the United States must terminate the sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic Republic all at once as a necessary precondition for Washington's return to a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement.
• JCPOA Joint Commission decides to speed up talks IRNA 27 Apr 2021 -- The first session of the new round of talks of the Joint Commission of Iran nuclear deal finished in Vienna today and the participants decided to accelerate the process of the talks.
• In Vienna, JCPOA Joint Commission agrees to speed up process of talks Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Representatives of Iran and the signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have agreed to accelerate the process of the talks on the revival of the agreement.
• Parties To Iran Nuclear Deal To Resume Talks In Vienna RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- Talks aimed at bringing the United States back into the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will resume in Vienna on April 27.
• Iran Nuclear Pact Talks Resume VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- World powers resumed talks Tuesday in Vienna about revitalizing the 2015 international pact to restrain Iran's nuclear development program and bring the United States back into the accord that former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.
• President Rouhani orders Intelligence Ministry to identify those responsible for leaked Zarif audio Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- The Iranian administration says President Hassan Rouhani has ordered the country's Intelligence Ministry to identify those behind leaking excerpts from an interview with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that was meant to be confidential, censuring the move as a conspiracy against national interests.
• Iran's President Orders Probe Into Leaked Audio 'Conspiracy' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The Iranian government says an investigation has been ordered into the "conspiracy" of leaked audio in which Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are too influential in diplomacy.
• Myanmar's Anti-Junta Protesters Turning to Rebel Armies for Military Training VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- As the death toll from the military crackdown against peaceful protesters in Myanmar mounts, some in the Southeast Asian nation are turning to armed combat to fight back. They are trading peaceful resistance against the coup in the cities and heading to the country's remote borderlands to join a patchwork of rebel armies.
• Myanmar's Parallel Government Gets Moral Support But No Political Recognition Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2021 -- Despite gaining widespread support among the people of Myanmar, the newly formed National Unity Government (NUG) is struggling to gain international recognition as it takes on the junta, overcoming a setback dealt by the 10-member ASEAN's welcome of military leader Min Aung Hlaing last weekend.
• Right to freedom of expression in Myanmar must be guaranteed, UN expert urges military coup leader UN News 27 Apr 2021 -- The leader of Myanmar's 'Tatmadaw' military has been urged to publicly commit to honoring the fundamental right to freedom of expression for those protesting the generals' February coup.
• Official Says Vote On Belarus Constitutional Amendments May Be In Early 2022 RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- Belarusian authorities expect to hold a referendum early next year on the constitutional amendments promised by authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid mass protests after a presidential election last year that opposition leaders and the West say was rigged.
• Ukrainian Security Service Says It Prevented Cyberattack Ordered By Moscow RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- Ukraine's SBU security service says it has arrested a local resident suspected of planning a Russian-ordered cyberattack on Ukrainian state institutions.
• Japanese PM's leadership shaken by LDP's hefty election loss, falling public support People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday said that focusing on tackling the increasingly serious COVID-19 situation in the country is his "top priority" ahead of plans to dissolve the lower house of parliament for a general election.
• Portugal to produce space launcher systems People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- A joint venture formed by the German Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) and the Portuguese Engineering and Development Center (CEiiA) will develop and produce space launcher systems in Portugal, according to a joint press release of RFA, CEiiA and the AICEP Portugal Global, a government trade and investment agency, on Monday.
• DRC's new gov't sworn in People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- The new government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led by Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge was approved by the National Assembly and was sworn in on Monday.
• At Least 2 Killed During Protests in Chad VOA 27 Apr 2021 -- At least two people were killed Tuesday in the central African country of Chad during protests demanding the country's transitional military government transfer power to civilians.
• Four Killed, 23 Injured as Civilians Clash With Security Forces in Chad, Source Reveals Sputnik 27 Apr 2021 -- At least four people were killed and 23 others sustained injuries in clashes between protesters against the military rule and law enforcement officers in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, an informed source told Sputnik.
• Violent protests erupt in Chad after military names interim PM Press TV 27 Apr 2021 -- Violent protests have erupted in Chad against the country's military, which has taken control and appointed a transitional prime minister following the death of President Idriss Deby.
• U.K. Imposes First Sanctions From Magnitsky Law, Including 14 Russians RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The United Kingdom has announced its first round of sanctions under its new global anti-corruption regime, freezing assets and imposing restrictions on 14 individuals from Russia, as well as eight others from different parts of the world.
• U.S. Calls Moldovan Parliament's Vote To Remove Judge 'Blatant Attack' On Democratic Norms RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The U.S. State Department has said a vote by the Moldovan parliament to dismiss the head of the Constitutional Court was a "blatant attack on Moldova's democratic norms and its constitutional order."
• EU, U.S. Dismiss Redrawing Borders In Balkans Along Ethnic Lines RFE/RL 27 Apr 2021 -- The European Union and the United States have rejected the idea of redrawing borders in the Western Balkans in response to an unofficial proposal to break up Bosnia-Herzegovina and merge Kosovo with Albania.