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• Department of the Navy Releases Climate Action 2030 US Navy Press Release 24 May 2022 -- The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps announced the release of its climate strategy, Climate Action 2030, setting the Department of the Navy (DON) on a path to achieve the Nation's commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while becoming a more capable, agile, and lethal fighting force.
• Benvenuto! CSG-10 welcomes Italian Navy Destroyer US Navy 24 May 2022 -- Italian Navy destroyer ITS Caio Duilio (D 554) arrived here today in advance of its participation in Carrier Strike Group 10's Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX).
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Progress of the Naming Commission DoD 24 May 2022
• MRF-D Combines with the Australian Defence Force and Tentara Nasional Indonesia to Exercise Humanitarian Assistance Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific USMC News 24 May 2022 -- Marine Rotational Force-Darwin participated in Exercise CROCODILE RESPONSE 22, a tri-lateral humanitarian assistance exercise featuring Marines and Sailors with MRF-D, Australian Defence Force members, and Indonesian National Armed Forces personnel, along with multiple civilian organizations and assets from May 9 - May 20.
• US Navy: 'Unit-level errors and omissions' led to grounding of nuclear-powered sub Radio Free Asia 24 May 2022 -- The U.S Navy has released the command investigation into the submarine USS Connecticut grounding last October, saying that it "resulted from an accumulation of unit-level errors and omissions that fell far below U.S. Navy standards."
• DAF COVID-19 Statistics - May 24, 2022 US Air Force 24 May 2022
• Finland and NATO sign a Host Nation Support Technical Arrangement Finnish Government 24 May 2022 -- Finland and NATO signed a mutual Host Nation Support Technical Arrangement in Mons, Belgium, on 24 May 2022. On behalf of the Government of Finland, the document was signed by Lieutenant General Eero Pyötsiä, Chief of the Defence Command.
• Finnish, Swedish Envoys To Turkey To Discuss NATO Bids RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- Envoys from Finland and Sweden are due to meet in Ankara on May 25 for talks with Turkish officials regarding the two countries' applications for membership in NATO, which Turkey opposes, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has said.
• Turkey Reveals List of Demands in Order to Approve Sweden's NATO Bid Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- Ankara has threatened to block Sweden and Finland's applications, referring to the Nordic countries' alleged "harbouring" of autonomy-seeking Kurdish groups that Turkey blacklists as "terrorists".
• NATO Secretary General at Davos: "freedom is more important than free trade" NATO 24 May 2022 -- In a keynote speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday (24 May 2022), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that "freedom is more important than free trade" and that the "protection of our values is more important than profit."
• Defence Minister Anita Anand announces additional military aid for Ukraine Canada DND 24 May 2022 -- Today, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada will donate over 20,000 artillery rounds of 155 mm NATO standard ammunition, including fuses and charge bags, to further support Ukraine's military in their response to Russian leadership's illegal, and unjustifiable invasion.
• Poll Shows Near Even Split Among Ukrainians Over Joining NATO RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- A poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) shows that 39 percent of Ukrainians believe that joining NATO would guarantee the nation's security, while 42 percent believe that in the current environment settling for security guarantees may be acceptable.
• The supply of weapons to Ukraine is the best investment in maintaining stability in the world - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine 24 May 2022
• 'Big Thing': Denmark to Supply Naval Missiles to Ukraine Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- According to Danish military researcher Anders Puck Nielsen, the Harpoon-class missiles, which have a range of up to 240 kilometres, may be used both for coastal defence and in truck-mounted mode. Russia had previously cautioned against arms deliveries to Ukraine and stressed they would be treated as legitimate targets.
• Russian Defence Minister Shoigu Warns of Threat of Ukrainian Nuclear Weapons Development Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- The statement comes as the Russian special military operation in Ukraine enters its fourth month. The operation was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to end "genocide" in Donbass, as well as "demilitarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine. Moscow also warned of the possibility of Kiev developing nuclear weapons ahead of the operation.
• Russian, Chinese Strategic Bombers Complete 13-Hour-Long Patrol Over Sea of Japan, East China Sea Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- The bombers were escorted by the Japanese and South Korean jets during certain parts of their patrolling route. No incidents in the air have been reported.
• China, Russia hold joint aerial patrol for 4th consecutive year amid Biden's Asia visit at Quad summit Global Times 24 May 2022 -- China and Russia on Tuesday carried out a regular joint strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region for the fourth consecutive year, a move analysts said displayed a high level of military cooperation between the two major powers that contributes to peace and stability in the region and the world at a time when both countries are facing stern, provocative pressure from the US and the West.
• China, Russia conduct joint aerial strategic patrol PLA Daily 24 May 2022 -- The air forces of China and Russia conducted a joint aerial strategic patrol in the airspace over the waters of the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean on May 24, said an announcement released by the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China on Tuesday.
• China, Russia conduct joint military exercise as Biden visits region Press TV 24 May 2022 -- China and Russia have conducted their first military exercise since Moscow launched its military operation in Eastern Ukraine, in the midst of a visit by US President Joe Biden to the region.
• PLA increases warship activities in key straits near Japan amid provocative US, Japanese remarks Global Times 24 May 2022 -- Soon after the Liaoning aircraft carrier group wrapped up its far sea drills in waters between Japan and the island of Taiwan, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly sent more warships simultaneously through two strategically important straits northwest and southwest of Japan on Monday, marking an increase in Chinese naval activities in the region at a time when US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made provocative remarks on China during Biden's visit to Japan.
• Domestic-made 'XT112' rifle to complete combat tests soon CNA 24 May 2022 -- A new assault rifle being developed by Taiwan's military is expected to finish the combat readiness testing stage in August, the last phase before entering mass production, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Tuesday.
• Taiwan envoy stresses self-defense after Biden comment CNA 24 May 2022 -- Taiwan's top envoy to the United States refrained Monday from directly commenting on U.S. President Joe Biden's vow to defend Taiwan militarily, instead stressing that Taiwan's primary focus is on its own ability to defend itself.
• HMAS Ararat's crew rescues Solomon Islands police Australia DOD 24 May 2022 -- The crew of HMAS Ararat rescued a Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) crew last Saturday after the police vessel was reported missing.
• North Korea launches at least 3 ballistic missiles toward sea, South Korea says Press TV 24 May 2022 -- North Korea launched at least three ballistic missiles toward the sea on Wednesday morning local time, according to South Korea's military.
• North Korea Fired Three Missiles Toward East Sea, South Korean Military Says Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- If the launch is confirmed, it will be the 17th missile test since the start of the year by the North Korean military. Some of the launches, according to Pyongyang, were tests of supersonic missiles, as well as ICBMs.
• Iran Drone Deal Aims For Afghan Security, Complicates Tajik-Kyrgyz Arms Race RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- Drone warfare benefits from stealth, unpredictability, and the ability to send a targeted message without open military involvement. Similar, it appears, to Iran's intentions when it comes to its plans to manufacture drones in Tajikistan.
• Fighter crashes in Isfahan, central Iran IRNA 24 May 2022 -- An F-7 jet fighter crashed in east of Isfahan, central Iran, killing two people on board, deputy governor of Isfahan for political, security, and social affairs said on Tuesday.
• Two Pilots Dead As Iranian Fighter Jet Crashes During Training Mission RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- Two Iranian Air Force pilots were killed when their F-7 fighter jet crashed during a training mission near the city of Naeen in central Iran.
• Defence Procurement Minister speech at the Combined Naval Event UK MOD 24 May 2022 -- Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin spoke at the Combined Naval Event 2022 in Farnborough.
• Type 45 Ballistic Missile Defence upgrade to support more than 100 UK jobs UK MOD 24 May 2022 -- The UK will become the first European nation to operate a Maritime Ballistic Missile Defence capability that can detect and destroy Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles
• Quad Joint Leaders' Statement The White House 24 May 2022
• Australia, India, Japan and US end 'Quad' summit with eyes on China Radio Free Asia 24 May 2022 -- Leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) met on Tuesday in Tokyo, with China's increasing influence and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region looming large over the four-nation summit.
• Biden Ends Asia Trip With Warning Seen as Signal to China VOA 24 May 2022 -- Ending his 6-day trip to Asia, U.S. President Joe Biden used the war in Ukraine to send a message to China to uphold the fundamental principles of the international order.
• Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia at the Second In-Person Quad Leaders' Summit The White House 24 May 2022
• Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Commonwealth of Australia Before Bilateral Meeting | Tokyo, Japan The White House 24 May 2022
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with Prime Minister Modi of India The White House 24 May 2022
• English Translation of Opening Remarks by Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi at Quad Leaders' Summit India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Your Excellencies,
• Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 24 May 2022
• English Translation of Opening Remarks by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the bilateral meeting with President of USA India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Mr. President, it is always a great pleasure to meet you. Today we also participated together in another positive and useful Quad Summit.
• Prime Minister's meeting with Australian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Anthony Albanese on 24 May 2022 on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Tokyo, Japan.
• Prime Minister's meeting with President of the United States of America India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a warm and productive meeting with H.E. Mr. Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States of America, on 24 May 2022, in Tokyo. The meeting resulted in substantive outcomes which will add depth and momentum to the bilateral partnership.
• Prime Minister's meeting with Prime Minister of Japan India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting today with H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan. PM Kishida also hosted a dinner for PM Modi. They had productive exchange of views on enhancing bilateral relations in various spheres as well as on some regional and global issues.
• Prime Minister's participation in the Quad Leaders' Summit India PIB 24 May 2022 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the second in-person Quad Leaders' Summit in Tokyo, Japan on 24 May 2022, along with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, President Joseph Biden of the United States of America and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia. This was the fourth interaction of the Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, the Summit in Washington D.C in September 2021 and their virtual interaction in March 2022.
• Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with National Security Advisor Kim Sung-han of the Republic of Korea The White House 24 May 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan US Dept. of State 24 May 2022
• Department Press Briefing – May 24, 2022 US Dept. of State 24 May 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 24, 2022

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 24 May 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 May 2022
• Ripple effect of conflict in Ukraine deepens pandemic woes and worsens hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean WFP 24 May 2022 -- The number of severely food insecure people has shot up by over half a million between December 2021 and March 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the region struggles to cope with the fallout of COVID-19, now coupled with the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, warns the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
• Welcoming the international community's determination to address global food insecurity UK FCDO 24 May 2022 -- Remarks by Tom Woodroffe, UK Ambassador to the ECOSOC, following the adoption of a UN General Assembly Resolution on the state of global food insecurity
• UN General Assembly resolution calls for efforts to mitigate food security crisis People's Daily 24 May 2022 -- The General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution that calls for international efforts to mitigate the current food security crisis.
• Systemic failures of leadership, planning and preparation: MPs slam Government role in UK withdrawal from Afghanistan House of Commons - Foreign Affairs Committee 24 May 2022 -- In a damning report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, MPs say the Foreign Office, the National Security Advisor and Ministers must accept responsibility for the failure to prepare or respond, abandoning the UK's allies and damaging the UK's interests.
• Report On Britain's Withdrawal From Afghanistan Points To Failures Of Leadership, Lack Of Planning RFE/RL Gandhara 24 May 2022 -- Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August has been sharply criticized as a "disaster and betrayal" in a report by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.
• UK withdrawal from Afghanistan was a 'disaster' and 'betrayal', inquiry reveals Press TV 24 May 2022 -- The chaotic and hasty withdrawal of the US-led allied forces from Afghanistan last year, including the British troops, has been described by the UK lawmakers as "systemic failures of leadership, planning, and preparation".
• UK Parliament's Foreign Committee Dubs Withdrawal From Afghanistan 'Disaster,' 'Betrayal' Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from Afghanistan was a "disaster" and a "betrayal" of the country's allies, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK House of Commons said on Tuesday.
• UN Security Council Calls On Taliban To Reverse Restrictions On Women, Girls RFE/RL Gandhara 24 May 2022 -- The UN Security Council has called on Afghanistan's Taliban-led government to reverse policies restricting the human rights of women and girls.
• Taliban sign agreement with UAE to manage airport operations Press TV 24 May 2022 -- The Taliban has signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to manage the country's airports, the group's acting deputy prime minister said on Tuesday.
• Taliban Allow UAE Company to Run Operations at Key Afghan Airports VOA 24 May 2022 -- The Taliban government signed an agreement Tuesday with a state-run United Arab Emirates aviation company to allow it run "ground-handling" operations at three airports in Afghanistan, including Kabul.
• PMU launches 'intelligence operation' to dismantle Daesh sleeper cell in northern Iraq Press TV 24 May 2022 -- Iraq's anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), an umbrella organization composed of the Arab country's resistance groups, have launched an operation to clear the remnants of the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group in northern Iraq.
• Erdogan Prepares New Anti-Kurdish Operation in Iraq Amid Dispute Over Sweden's Support for Kurds Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- Following a cabinet meeting on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would soon launch a new military operation into northern Syria against Kurdish militias Ankara considers to be terrorist groups.
• Three Turkish Soldiers Killed, Four Injured in Operation in Northern Iraq Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- Three Turkish soldiers were killed and four others injured during Ankara's "anti-terrorist" operation against militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Mobile phone service cut amid heavy fighting in Myanmar's Sagaing Radio Free Asia 24 May 2022 -- Myanmar junta troops on Tuesday briefly cut mobile phone service to eight townships in Sagaing region, leaving more than a million residents without cell access in an effort to mask the movements and operations of Military Council forces in the war-torn area, Myanmar sources say.
• Uganda 'Overwhelmed' with New DRC Refugee Influx VOA 24 May 2022 -- A Ugandan official says a new influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo is stretching the country's resources to the breaking point.

News Reports

• Targeting Covert Hamas Investment Network and Hamas Finance Official US Dept. of State 24 May 2022 -- While Palestinians in Gaza face harsh living and economic conditions under Hamas, the terrorist group has amassed hundreds of millions in its secret investment portfolio.
• Treasury Targets Covert Hamas Investment Network and Finance Official US Treasury 24 May 2022 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a Hamas finance official as well as an expansive network of three Hamas financial facilitators and six companies that have generated revenue for the terrorist group through the management of an international investment portfolio.
• Monkeypox outbreak is 'containable,' WHO says after confirming more cases Press TV 24 May 2022 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says a recent outbreak of an extremely rare disease called monkeypox is "containable" in non-endemic countries," even as health experts have been baffled by the recent spike in countries with no history of the viral disease.
• Monkeypox outbreak can still be contained, insists UN health agency UN News 24 May 2022 -- The monkeypox outbreak that has been reported in 16 countries and several regions of the world can still be contained and the overall risk of transmission is low, the UN health agency said on Tuesday.
• World Health Assembly re-elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to second term as WHO Director-General WHO 24 May 2022
• Meeting on transport industry development President of Russia 24 May 2022 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, on the development of certain sectors of Russia's transport industry.
• Telephone conversation with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev President of Russia 24 May 2022 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the Uzbekistani side's initiative.
• Expansion Or Contraction? How Will Putin's War in Ukraine Impact His Outreach To Africa? RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- When Russian President Vladimir Putin enticed more than 40 African leaders to travel to the Black Sea resort of Sochi for a summit in 2019, it demonstrated that Moscow was once again a major player on the continent.
• US pushes Russia towards default by blocking debt payments: Official Press TV 24 May 2022 -- A former US sanctions official says the United States is pushing Russia toward default by blocking debt payments, as Washington ups the ante in its economic warfare against Moscow over the conflict with Ukraine.
• U.S. To End Russia's Ability To Pay Bondholders Through U.S. Banks RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- The United States will not extend a waiver set to expire on May 25 that allows Russia to pay U.S. bondholders through U.S. banks.
• US Will Not Renew Russia Debt Payment Exemption Set to Expire on May 25, Treasury Says Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- The United States will not renew the existing general license that provided Russia with a range of exemptions associated with the debt repayment and will let it expire on May 25, the US Treasury announced on Tuesday.
• In Tit-For-Tat Move, Russia Sanctions 154 Members Of Britain's House Of Lords RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- Russia says it is sanctioning 154 members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament, in retaliation for similar steps taken against Moscow's foreign envoys and lawmakers over the Kremlin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Europe accepts Russia's demands on gas payments to avoid more shut-offs Press TV 24 May 2022 -- European energy companies have agreed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands on gas payments to "avoid more gas shut-offs," according to a new report.
• Hungary's Orban Shoots Down Russian Oil and Gas Embargo Discussions at EU Summit Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- Budapest has resisted the European Union's proposal to ban Moscow's oil and gas, with its prime minister arguing that the bloc's sanctions only work "on paper".
• Navalny's Appeal Denied In Moscow, New Nine-Year Sentence Confirmed RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- A Moscow court has upheld a nine-year prison term for opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is already behind bars for a previous conviction he and his supporters have called politically motivated.
• Russia successfully deals with sanctions: Putin People's Daily 24 May 2022 -- The Russian economy is withstanding the blow of Western sanctions "quite well" despite all the difficulties, as was evidenced by all the key macroeconomic indicators, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on May 24, 2022 PRC MofA 24 May 2022
• Blinken to Make Major China Policy Speech This Week VOA 24 May 2022 -- U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will make a major policy speech on Thursday at George Washington University detailing the Biden administration's approach to relations with China.
• China warns 'irretrievable consequences', 'unbearable price' amid US' Taiwan remarks swings Global Times 24 May 2022 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday warned the US against playing with words on the one-China principle and irretrievable consequences for the China-US relations, stressing no forces including the US can prevent the Chinese people from reunifying the nation after US President Joe Biden's latest Taiwan gaffes which saw he first vowed readiness for military intervention to defend the island if necessary and then he and White House officials walked back his remarks.
• China launches diplomatic activities to boost ties with South Pacific islands; 'US, Australian containment strategy doomed to fail' Global Times 24 May 2022 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to start his trip to the South Pacific region and East Timor, with the first stop to the Solomon Islands, it was officially announced on Tuesday.
• China Embarks on Biggest Diplomatic Outreach in South Pacific While Warning US Not to Meddle Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- Washington is concerned over China's moves in the region, both economically and now as a security provider. The US is worried over its continued dominance in the Pacific, where it maintains several operating bases, including the large Hawaii command post.
• Hacks, Oil Deals, And Veiled Criticism: China-Russia Ties Continue To Morph After Ukraine Invasion RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- As NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Beijing at a March 23 press conference not to aid Russia in the Ukraine war, a batch of e-mails believed to be sent by Chinese state-sponsored hackers landed in the inboxes of researchers and engineers at several Russian military-development institutes.
• Hong Kong activist Benny Tai jailed over voting scheme, cardinal pleads not guilty Radio Free Asia 24 May 2022 -- A court in Hong Kong on Tuesday jailed democracy activist and former law professor Benny Tai for 10 months for "illegally" promoting a strategic voting scheme for the 2016 Legislative Council (LegCo) elections.
• Wang Yi meets with UN human rights chief in Guangzhou, asks for mutual understanding, clearing misinformation Global Times 24 May 2022 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hopes the visit of UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to China will strengthen cooperation with the UN in human rights based on mutual respect and equality, and clear up some misinformation about China in the field.
• China's human rights violations in Xinjiang: Foreign Secretary's statement, May 2022 UK FCDO 24 May 2022 -- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave a statement following new evidence emerging of China's human rights violations in Xinjiang.
• UN Rights Chief's Visit to Xinjiang Met With Anticipation, Skepticism VOA 24 May 2022 -- As the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet and her team are visiting China from May 23 to 28, human rights groups, including Amnesty International have said the U.N. rights chief "must address crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations" in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China.
• Report: China Spends Billions of Dollars to Subsidize Favored Companies VOA 24 May 2022 -- The Chinese government directs hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to favored domestic companies every year, according to a new study, and does so at a far greater rate, relative to the size of its economy, than other developed and developing countries.
• Chinese Working in Africa Face Threat of Kidnapping VOA 24 May 2022 -- Kidnapping for lucrative ransoms has become a big business in some countries in Africa, and the criminal act affects Chinese nationals as well as other foreign workers, say analysts. They say that due to China's massive presence on the continent, whether in oil or other industries, it is inevitable Chinese often end up being targets.
• No change in 'strategic ambiguity' on Taiwan: US president Press TV 24 May 2022 -- US President Joe Biden has emphasized that the United States still abides by the policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan.
• China warns US against 'playing with fire' after Biden's Taiwan remarks Press TV 24 May 2022 -- China has warned the United States against "playing with fire" after President Joe Biden vowed to defend the self-ruled island of Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
• US State Department Walks Back Biden's Unusually Strong Comments on Taiwan VOA 24 May 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden and the State Department said that nothing has changed in U.S. policy toward Taiwan after Biden's unusually hardline statement Monday of military support for the self-governed island prompted anger from China and gave a boost to the western Pacific island where many worry about an attack from Beijing.
• U.S., Lithuania among 10 countries backing Taiwan's WHA inclusion CNA 24 May 2022 -- Ten countries on Monday voiced their support for Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health Assembly (WHA) during the second day of the WHA's annual meeting in Geneva after a proposal to invite it to the gathering was not put on the meeting's agenda.
• DPP warned against attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by using pandemic People's Daily 24 May 2022 -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to stop seeking "Taiwan independence" under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic and said that such attempt will only come to a dead end.
• World Health Assembly rejects again Taiwan-related proposal People's Daily 24 May 2022 -- The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the General Committee of the WHA on Monday seperately decided not to include in its agenda a proposal on Taiwan's participation in the annual assembly as an observer.
• Saudi FM says 'some but not enough' progress made in Iran talks Press TV 24 May 2022 -- Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says there has been "some but not enough" progress in talks with Iran, and that Riyadh's hands remain outstretched to Tehran.
• Top army cmdr. vows response to assassination of IRGC member IRNA 24 May 2022 -- Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major-General Mohammad Bagheri has said that the assassination of IRGC member Hassan Sayyad Khodaei will not go unanswered.
• Joint Communiqué: United Kingdom - The State of Qatar Gov.UK 24 May 2022 -- The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP and His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, The Amir of the State of Qatar, met in London on 24 May, 2022. The Prime Minister welcomed the 50th Anniversary of the UK-Qatar bilateral relations and celebrated the rich and deep history between both countries.
• Turkey's Top Diplomat Seeks to Consolidate Rapprochement with a Wary Israel VOA 24 May 2022 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Wednesday becomes the first senior Turkish official to visit Israel in 15 years. After a stop in the Palestinian territories, the foreign minister goes to Israel hoping to consolidate rapprochement efforts between the countries, which withdrew their ambassadors in 2018.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Wong US Dept. of State 24 May 2022
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese of Australia The White House 24 May 2022
• New Australian Leader Sides with Washington, Rebuffs Beijing VOA 24 May 2022 -- Australia's new leader signaled Tuesday that he would resist growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region — seeming to dismiss Beijing's hopeful comments upon his election and portending a growing closeness between the United States and Australia.
• Pakistan Government Bans Imran Khan's Long March to Islamabad Amid Massive Crackdown Sputnik 24 May 2022 -- The former prime minister's scheduled march on Islamabad on Wednesday is part of a countrywide campaign demanding immediate elections. He was ousted through a no-confidence vote last month, which he alleges was concocted by the US.
• Pakistan Arrests Hundreds Ahead of Ex-PM Khan's Anti-Government Rally VOA 24 May 2022 -- Pakistani police Tuesday detained hundreds of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a day before he is due to lead an anti-government march on the capital, Islamabad, to press his demand for fresh elections.
• Joint Statement between the European Commission and the United States on European Energy Security European Commission 24 May 2022 -- Russia has demonstrated that it is an unreliable supplier of energy to Europe through unjustified and unacceptable actions such as cutting off electricity and natural gas to Finland, halting natural gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria, and threatening similar actions against other European nations. The
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese Prime Minister of Canada 24 May 2022 -- Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and congratulated him on his recent election victory.
• Orban Imposes New State Of Emergency In Hungary, Saying Ukraine War Poses 'Constant Danger' RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has imposed a new state of emergency in the country, citing the war in Ukraine, which he said "poses a threat to our physical security."
• Ex-Moldovan President Dodon Detained After Home Searched By Anti-Corruption Police RFE/RL 24 May 2022 -- The former president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, has been detained by Moldovan authorities on corruption charges, the Prosecutor-General's Office said on May 24.
• Political progress will be vital in alleviating the economic and humanitarian suffering of the Sudanese people UK FCDO 24 May 2022 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Sudan
• Time is short for Sudan to resolve political crisis, Mission chief warns UN News 24 May 2022 -- Time is short for Sudan to reach a solution to its protracted political crisis, the Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that if the impasse is not urgently overcome, the consequences will be felt beyond national borders, impacting a whole generation.
• Egypt Rolls Out Agricultural Projects to Tackle Future Food Shortages VOA 24 May 2022 -- As worries mount about food shortages due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Egypt - the world's largest importer of wheat - says it is preparing a series of agricultural projects to help curb food imports and provide increasingly for the domestic market in a sustainable fashion. The projects, which are part of the Egyptian government's efforts to improve agricultural output by 2030, have been in development for several years.
• Lebanon's New Parliament Faces Problem of Hezbollah's Weapons VOA 24 May 2022 -- Now that Hezbollah has lost control of Lebanon's parliament, the reformists, independents, and anti-Hezbollah forces in Lebanon's newly elected parliament may be angling to take on the longstanding issue of the group's weapons, analysts say. The Iran-backed Hezbollah political party is also the only militia to have not disarmed after the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, and its weapons cache reportedly outguns that of the national army.