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Defense Policy / Programs

• Entire U.S. Stockpile of VX Nerve Agent Eliminated PEO ACWA 20 Apr 2022 -- The last M55 rocket containing VX nerve agent was destroyed at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) April 19.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction project in Poland will further enhance NATO readiness in region Army News 20 Apr 2022 -- The ability to rapidly deploy military vehicles and other equipment is a key element to deterring aggression in Europe and reassuring the United States' NATO allies. That ability requires a great deal of facilities infrastructure and that is why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is managing the construction of a new $360 million Army Prepositioned Stock, or APS, facility in Powidz, Poland.
• Exercise showcases multinational effort to bolster 'Ready Garrison' security in Europe Army News 20 Apr 2022 -- said John P. Smith III, chief of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security at MK Air Base.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak DoD 20 Apr 2022
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks Welcoming Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak to the Pentagon DoD 20 Apr 2022
• DoD Awards Texas A&M University for Applied Hypersonics Research DoD 20 Apr 2022 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today Texas A&M University (TAMU) was selected for a one-year, $500,000 applied research award to develop both analytical and empirical procedures to quantify high-altitude and near-space atmospheric weather encounters for current and future hypersonic flight system designs.
• DoD Awards University of Notre Dame for Applied Hypersonics Research DoD 20 Apr 2022 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that the University of Notre Dame (ND) was selected for a one-year, $500,000 applied research award to use additive manufacturing techniques to construct a control array module for use on hypersonic vehicle designs.
• DOD Aims to Close Gap in Bringing U.S. Tech Innovation to Market DoD News 20 Apr 2022 -- The United States today is responsible for only about 12% of microelectronics production globally, with most production now in Asia. The U.S. also lacks much of the capacity to confirm the viability and marketability of new microelectronics technologies so that American industry might be convinced to invest in them.
• MRF-D and the Australian 1st Brigade Welcomes the Commandant of the Marine Corps USMC News 20 Apr 2022 -- Gen. David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, visited with Marines and Sailors of the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, and Soldiers of the Australian Defence Force on April 14.
• New US Army 6.8mm Sig Sauer Automatic Rifle Marks 'Revolutionary ' Advance, General Says Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- The US army's new Sig Sauer automatic rifle and new caliber of ammunition developed in only two and a quarter years marks a "revolutionary" advance for infantry combat forces, Joint Program for Armaments and Ammunition Director Brig. Gen. William Boruff said on Wednesday.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Completes Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security Patrol US Navy 20 Apr 2022 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) arrived at Naval Station Rota, Spain, following a successful maritime security patrol in the Gulf of Guinea, April 18, 2022.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with NATO Permanent Representatives US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană and European External Action Service (EEAS) Secretary General Stefano Sannino US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Poland Will Increase Defense Spending DoD News 20 Apr 2022 -- At the Pentagon today for a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said his country will increase its defense spending to 3% of gross domestic product.
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Statement Regarding Russian ICBM DoD 20 Apr 2022
• Russia Notified U.S. of ICBM Test Launch DoD News 20 Apr 2022 -- Russia's defense ministry said today the country test-launched one of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said the Russians had properly notified the United States under its new START Treaty obligations.
• Test launch of Sarmat ICBM President of Russia 20 Apr 2022 -- The President watched, via videoconference, the test launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and congratulated the Defence Ministry on the successful test.
• Amid War Tensions, Russia Tests New Nuclear-Capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile RFE/RL 20 Apr 2022 -- Russia said on April 20 that it had conducted the first test-launch of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, a new addition to its nuclear arsenal.
• Roscosmos Plans to Launch Serial Deliveries of ICBM Sarmat to Russian Forces by Fall Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- Russian state-owned space agency Roscosmos is planning to start serial shipments of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Sarmat to the Russian strategic missile forces this fall, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday.
• Mothers Of The Moskva: For Relatives Of Missing Sailors, A Lack Of Information Fuels Grief RFE/RL 20 Apr 2022 -- When news that the guided-missile cruiser Moskva had sunk off Crimea reached Tamara Grudinina, nearly 9,000 kilometers to the east, she immediately sent a text message to a number belonging to the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet asking about the whereabouts of her son, 21-year-old Sergei, a sailor serving on the fleet's flagship.
• Ethiopians Line Up at Russian Embassy as Officials Deny Recruitment Effort VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- Hundreds of Ethiopians reportedly have been been lined up for days outside the Russian embassy in Addis Ababa this week in hopes of being recruited to fight for Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine. But the embassy has dismissed claims it is recruiting foreign fighters and says the Ethiopians are there to show their solidarity with Russia.
• Biden Convenes Top Military Leaders to Discuss Ukraine VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- As Russia launched new attacks Wednesday on the embattled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, President Joe Biden convened his military leadership to get the latest assessment of the Russian invasion.
• Pentagon Press Secretary Statement Regarding Ukraine Aircraft, 20 April DoD 20 Apr 2022 -- "Yesterday I said at the briefing that Ukraine had received "whole aircraft." I didn't say the word "whole," but that was the impression that I gave you. I was mistaken. They have not received whole aircraft from another nation."
• US weapons shipments for Ukraine disappearing into 'black hole': CNN Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- The US government is struggling to track large quantities of "lethal aid" shipped to Ukraine in recent months amid raging conflict in the country, according to a stunning new revelation.
• US, Britain, Canada pledge artillery for Ukraine, leaders say Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- The US, the UK and Canada will send more military weaponry to Ukraine, their leaders have announced as the Russian military operation reached a new phase.
• US, Australia scramble to head off China pact with Solomon Islands Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- The US is dispatching two senior officials to the Solomon Islands after a visit to the South Pacific nation by an Australian minister in bids to block a security pact it has signed with China.
• US, Allies Huddle to Strategise Pacific Stakes as China Fills Security Gaps in Solomon Islands Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- China announced the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands on Tuesday amid serious concerns raised by the US and its allies. But the Islands assured other Pacific nations that the agreement would not hamper regional security dynamics.
• China, Solomon Islands confirm they have signed security pact Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- China and the Solomon Islands have both confirmed they signed a controversial security pact that has sparked concerns about China's rising influence in the Pacific region.
• Solomon Islands Sign Security Pact With China VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- The prime minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, has told parliament that a wide-ranging security pact it has signed with China will not undermine peace and stability in the region. However, the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Australia have expressed concern.
• Taiwan expresses concern over China-Solomon Islands security pact CNA 20 Apr 2022 -- Taiwan joined the United States on Wednesday in expressing "deep concerns" over a security pact sealed a day earlier between China and a former Taiwan diplomatic ally, the Solomon Islands, a move that many fear could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific.
• China stresses transparency of security pact with Solomon Islands, questions US' motive in South Pacific Global Times 20 Apr 2022 -- China and the Solomon Islands will act according to customary international practice on the basis of consultation, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, after both China and the Solomon Islands have announced the signing of a bilateral security deal.
• Two new Type 055 large destroyers, a new Type 052D destroyer confirmed in PLA Navy service Global Times 20 Apr 2022 -- Two Type 055 large destroyers, the Nanchang and the Lhasa, are moored at a naval port in 2021. File photo: Courtesy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Call with the People's Republic of China Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe DoD 20 Apr 2022
• US Defense Secretary Austin Holds Call With Chinese Counterpart VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- The Pentagon says U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wednesday, the first such contact between the two defense chiefs since President Joe Biden took office.
• Defense minister stresses China's resolve, warns against US provocations in 'late' first phone talk with Austin Global Times 20 Apr 2022 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe had a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday at the latter's request, with Wei stressing the importance of the Taiwan question, while demanding the US to stop its military provocations at sea, and not to throw mud or threaten China with the Ukraine issue.
• Chinese defense minister holds phone talk with US counterpart PLA Daily 20 Apr 2022 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe held a telephone conversation with the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday.
• Chinese defense minister holds video talks with Mozambican counterpart PLA Daily 20 Apr 2022 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe held video talks with Mozambican Defense Minister Cristóvão Artur Chume on April 19, 2022.
• Taiwan to receive five Tuo Chiang-class warships by 2023: MND CNA 20 Apr 2022 -- Taiwan's military expects to take delivery of five new Tuo Chiang-class stealth multi-mission corvettes by the end of next year, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.
• Coast guard corvettes to join live-fire drills CNA 20 Apr 2022 -- The Coast Guard Administration's (CGA) Anping-class missile corvettes will join the Navy and Air Force's live-fire drills for the first time later this year, to help bolster the branch's combat readiness, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.
• North Korea ballistic missile launch: FCDO statement UK FCDO 20 Apr 2022 -- A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson statement on North Korea's ballistic missile launch on 16 April.
• North Korea orders wartime readiness during joint U.S.-South Korean military drills Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- North Korea put its military in a wartime posture-mobilizing troops and stepping up army political indoctrination- in response to the semi-annual U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises that began this week, sources in the country told RFA.
• LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE 'VAGSHEER' AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL), MUMBAI India PIB 20 Apr 2022 -- Yard 11880, the sixth and last submarine of the Indian Navy's Kalvari class submarines of Project 75 has been launched today at the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).
• SIGNING OF MoU BETWEEN INDIAN NAVY AND M/S L&T India PIB 20 Apr 2022 -- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today, 20 Apr 22, between Indian Navy (IN) and M/s Larsen and Toubro (L&T) by Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, Chief of Materiel (COM) on behalf of Indian Navy and Shri Jayant Damodar Patil, Whole - Time Director (Defence & Smart Technologies) and Member of the Board, L&T.
• MoD utilises 65.50 per cent of Capital Acquisition Budget on domestic procurement in FY 2021-22 India PIB 20 Apr 2022 -- Ministry of Defence (MoD) had earmarked 64 per cent of Capital Acquisition Budget for domestic industry in Financial Year (FY) 2021-22. At the end of FY 2021-22, MoD has been able to over achieve this target and has utilised 65.50 per cent of Capital Acquisition Budget on indigenous procurements through Indian Industry to achieve Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Further, as per preliminary expenditure report of March 2022, MoD has been able to utilise 99.50 per cent of the Defence Services Budget in FY 2021-22.
• Iran's Army unveils domestically developed super heavy tank transporter, other achievements Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has unveiled a new super heavy tank transporter, among other achievements, designed and developed by Iranian experts.
• Biden nails down a date for ASEAN summit but not a full invite list Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- President Joe Biden, keen to showcase American interest in Southeast Asia, has secured a date to celebrate 45 years of U.S. ties with the far-away region, but not all of ASEAN's leaders are coming to the party.
• Joint IMFC and Development Committee Statement by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen US Treasury 20 Apr 2022 -- The United States, in the strongest terms, condemns Russia's illegal, unprovoked war against Ukraine. Russia's invasion is an assault on fundamental international rules and norms and threatens the core of the international order. The United States stands resolutely with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes, and Panamanian Public Security Minister Juan Manuel Pino Forero at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes at the Ministerial Conference on Migration and Protection Session on Stabilization of Communities and Post-COVID Recovery US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Transparency International Panama Chapter Executive Director Olga de Obaldía Opening Remarks at Meeting with Anticorruption and Transparency Advocates US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022
• Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting with the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Combatant Commanders The White House 20 Apr 2022
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with President David Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia The White House 20 Apr 2022
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, April 20, 2022 The White House 20 Apr 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 20, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 20 April 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 Apr 2022
• Turkey Not Violating Iraq's Territorial Integrity, Anti-PKK Operation Aimed to Defend Border - FM Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- Turkey has no intentions to infringe on Iraq's territorial integrity, and the recently launched anti-terrorist operation is aimed only at ensuring Turkey's border security, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.
• 1 in 100 displaced by conflict since Myanmar coup, UN says Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- One out of every 100 citizens of Myanmar became displaced by conflict in the nearly 15 months since the junta seized power, according to the United Nations, pushing the total number of internal refugees to a staggering 912,700 and pushing the country ever closer to the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
• More dialogue needed to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia UN News 20 Apr 2022 -- Pristina and Belgrade must engage more actively in dialogue facilitated by the European Union (EU), the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Interview: Despite security and political crises, UN expert remains optimistic about Mali UN News 20 Apr 2022 -- Three weeks have passed since some 500 people were allegedly summarily executed in Moura, a village in central Mali - and UN investigators have yet to be granted access, the UN rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday.
• UN condemns recent attacks on humanitarians in Central African Republic UN News 20 Apr 2022 -- The top UN humanitarian official in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday underlined the need for safe access to vulnerable people following two recent attacks against aid organizations operating in the south of the country.

News Reports

• CISA Expands the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative to include Industrial Control Systems Industry Expertise CISA 20 Apr 2022 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced today the expansion of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) to include Industrial Control Systems (ICS) experts—security vendors, integrators, and distributors—to further increase U.S. government focus on the cybersecurity and resilience of industrial control systems and operational technology (ICS/OT).
• CISA, FBI, NSA, and International Partners Issue Advisory on Demonstrated Threats and Capabilities of Russian State-Sponsored and Cyber Criminal Actors CISA 20 Apr 2022 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Agency (NSA), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), National Cyber Security Centre New Zealand (NZ NCSC), and the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK) and National Crime Agency (NCA), with contributions from industry members of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory on Russian state-sponsored and criminal cyber threats to critical infrastructure that could impact organizations both within and beyond Ukraine.
• UK court issues formal order to extradite Julian Assange to US Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- A court in the United Kingdom (UK) has issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he could face a lifetime in prison for espionage charges.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 20, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 Apr 2022
• Meeting on metallurgical complex development President of Russia 20 Apr 2022 -- The President chaired a videoconference meeting on the development of the metallurgical complex.
• US, Canada, UK Walk Out of G-20 Meeting Over Russia's Participation VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- Senior leaders of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom walked out of a meeting of the Group of 20 major economies on Wednesday in protest of the G-20's decision to allow Russian officials, including Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, to participate.
• Finance Ministers From Western Countries Walk Out Of G20 Meeting As Russian Delegates Speak RFE/RL 20 Apr 2022 -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her Canadian and European counterparts on April 20 led a walkout of a meeting of Group of 20 finance officials in protest against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
• Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses in Russia and Belarus and Taking Action Against Sanctions Evaders US Dept. of State 20 Apr 2022 -- President Putin's unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, conducted with the complicity of the Lukashenka regime, continues to cause needless suffering and thousands of civilian casualties. The world has witnessed the horrors of this war in the images from the Ukrainian towns of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, and in Ukrainian towns and cities still occupied or under siege, such as Mariupol.
• U.S. Treasury Designates Facilitators of Russian Sanctions Evasion US Treasury 20 Apr 2022 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated entities and individuals involved in attempts to evade sanctions imposed by the United States and its international partners on Russia. OFAC designated Russian commercial bank Transkapitalbank and a global network of more than 40 individuals and entities led by U.S.-designated Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev, including organizations whose primary mission is to facilitate sanctions evasion for Russian entities. OFAC also designated companies operating in Russia's virtual currency mining industry, reportedly the third largest in the world. This is the first time Treasury has designated a virtual currency mining company.
• China Urges US to Clarify Situation With CIA's Beehive Spyware Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- China called on the United States to clarify the situation regarding its Beehive malware attack and control systems developed and infiltrated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in many countries around the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 20, 2022 PRC MofA 20 Apr 2022
• YouTube Blocks Account of Hong Kong's Sole Leadership Candidate VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- Google-owned YouTube blocked the campaign account of Hong Kong's only leadership candidate, John Lee, on Wednesday, citing U.S. sanctions against the former No. 2 official.
• China's Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft completes fly-around and automatic docking with Tianhe core module Global Times 20 Apr 2022 -- Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft detached from China's Tianhe space station core module from the rear port at 5:02 am on Wednesday and flew around and successfully conducted automatic rendezvous and docking with the orbiting Tianhe at the front port, which took around 4 hours, the Global Times learned from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
• In-orbit construction of China's space station to be completed in 2022 People's Daily 20 Apr 2022 -- The in-orbit construction of China's space station is expected to be completed this year, during which the country plans to carry out six launch missions, according to a press conference on the latest developments in China's space station construction held on April 17.
• Construction of Power Stations Stepped up in Kangwon Province of DPRK KCNA 20 Apr 2022 -- Innovations and feats are being made in the construction of several army-people power stations in Kangwon Province of the DPRK.
• Statement by a Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson on the reported testing of two ballistic missiles by North Korea on 16 April Germany Federal Foreign Office 20 Apr 2022
• Technical discussions in Vienna concluded: Iran nuclear chief IRNA 20 Apr 2022 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday that discussions over technical issues in Vienna talks between Iran and the five world powers have been concluded.
• India Steps Up Wheat Exports Amid Supply Disruptions Due to Ukraine Crisis VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- India is expected to reduce shortages of wheat on global markets created by the war in Ukraine as overflowing warehouses help it step up exports.
• US Exploring Resumption of Migration Accords With Cuba VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- The United States will explore the possibility of resuming migration accords with Cuba, senior officials said ahead of U.S.-Cuba talks this week on migration concerns.
• Kazakh Lawmakers Approve Controversial Bill Allowing Them To Shut Down Social Media Platforms RFE/RL 20 Apr 2022 -- The Kazakh parliament's lower chamber, the Mazhilis, has approved a controversial bill that would allow authorities to shut down social media and messaging platforms to protect users from cyberbullying. Critics of the legislation, however, have warned that it could be used by the state to silence its critics.
• US relations with Saudi reach breaking point amid oil standoff Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have hit their lowest in decades over Riyadh's reluctance to increase oil production to bring down gasoline prices in the global market.
• READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Virtual Meeting with Saudi Arabian Minister of Finance H.E. Mr. Mohammed Al-Jadaan US Treasury 20 Apr 2022
• Ukraine Conflict Offers Turkey Reset With Washington VOA 20 Apr 2022 -- Turkey's robust stance against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine is becoming an impetus to improve relations with the United States, a NATO ally.
• Bangladesh extends road near Myanmar, NE India to combat cross-border smuggling Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- Bangladesh officials on Tuesday announced an extension until 2024 for a road-building project in the remote Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox's Bazar, saying the improved infrastructure would help combat illegal smuggling across the nearby frontiers with Myanmar and India, among other uses.
• Hun Sen's call for fair local elections this June in Cambodia raises eyebrows Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that he would not stump for his party in local elections in June and urged authorities to remain neutral during the campaign, an appeal that did little to comfort the beleaguered opposition.
• Amnesty International blasts new proposed social media regulations in Vietnam Radio Free Asia 20 Apr 2022 -- An international rights group condemned the Vietnamese government's plan to adopt new regulations to tighten control over social media platforms in the communist one-party country where leaders already have little tolerance for public criticism or dissent.
• Saakashvili Helped Out Of Courtroom During Tbilisi Trial After Falling Ill RFE/RL 20 Apr 2022 -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili needed assistance to leave the courtroom at his trial on an illegal border-crossing charge on April 20, raising fears over his state of health.