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News Reports

Current Operations

• CENTCOM: 11 more US troops diagnosed with 'traumatic brain injury' after last month's attacks in Syria Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- A spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM) says 11 more American troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following a series of attacks that targeted US illegal bases in Syria back in March.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement from President Joe Biden on Arrest in National Security Leak Case The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Suspect in Massive Leak of Classified Documents Arraigned VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guard member suspected of leaking a trove of classified U.S. government documents made his first court appearance Friday to face federal espionage charges.
• What is the Espionage Act? VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who has been accused of leaking a trove of highly classified documents online, faces two criminal charges: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The first charge falls under the so-called Espionage Act, a statute that the Justice Department has relied on to prosecute leaks of classified information.
• US Court Charges Teixeira With Retention, Transmission of Secret Information Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- US federal court on Friday charged the suspected leaker of classified Pentagon documents, Jack Teixeira, with the unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of classified information during his first appearance in court that began at 10 a.m. EST (14:00 GMT), a Sputnik correspondent reported from the courtroom.
• Leaker who spread U.S. intel docs is member of national guard: media People's Daily 14 Apr 2023 -- The man who leaked a trove of U.S. intelligence documents, some marked as top secrete, to the public is a young airman enlisted in the Massachusetts Air National Guard (MANG), The New York Times reported Thursday.
• DoD Strengthens Supply Chain for Solid Rocket Motors DoD 14 Apr 2023 -- The Department of Defense's (DoD) Office of Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) has entered into a $215.6 million agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR) to expand and modernize AR's facilities in Camden, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; and Orange County, Virginia, where the company manufactures complex rocket propulsion systems.
• Navy to Christen Future U.S. Navy Ship Cleveland DoD 14 Apr 2023 -- The Navy will christen and launch the newest Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31), during a 10:00 a.m. CDT ceremony on Saturday, April 15, in Marinette, Wisconsin.
• Joint Statement of the 13th Defense Trilateral Talks DoD 14 Apr 2023 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner, Japan Director General for Defense Policy Masuda Kazuo, and Republic of Korea (ROK) Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun convened the 13th Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2023.
• Partnership in Action: Tunisian and U.S. Naval Forces Train Together as Military Leaders Meet Aboard George H.W. Bush US Navy 14 Apr 2023 -- Tunisian Air Force Brig. Gen. Tarek Akremi, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Tunisian Air Force, and Natasha Franceschi, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tunisia, along with military and civilian staff, embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), March 22, 2023.
• US State Department, Pentagon Preparing Pathway to Hasten Foreign Weapons Sales, Media Reports Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- The US State Department and Pentagon are preparing measures to help hasten the process of selling weapons to foreign countries, American news outlet reported on Friday.
• Wisconsin Guard Black Hawks Respond to Large Wildfire Army News 14 Apr 2023 -- Two Wisconsin Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Army Aviation Support Facility #2 helped battle a wildfire near Necedah in Juneau County April 12.
• Digital Dragnet: In Search Of Soldiers For Its War Against Ukraine, Russia Takes Draft Notices Online RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- As the first body bags of Russian soldiers drafted in what the Kremlin called a "partial mobilization" began to return home from Ukraine last October, President Vladimir Putin announced that the unpopular call-up he had decreed just weeks earlier would soon come to an end.
• Russian Pacific Fleet on high alert, conducting snap combat drills Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- The Russian military has put its Pacific naval fleet on high alert as part of surprise combat drills aimed at building the country's defensive capabilities amid heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and wrangling with the West over Ukraine.
• Shoigu: Check of Pacific Fleet Aimed at Boosting Russian Ability to Repel Ocean Attack Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- The main purpose of the unscheduled inspection of Russia's Pacific Fleet is to enhance the ability of the country's armed forces to "repel the aggression of a probable enemy" from maritime directions, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday.
• Only 31% of Tanks Promised to Kiev Reached Combat Zone by February End Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- Only 31% of the tanks promised to Kiev by the West had arrived in the combat zone by the end of February amid an ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, a American newspaper reported on Friday, citing data from leaked Pentagon documents.
• Denmark to Deliver CAESAR Self-Propelled Howitzers to Ukraine in Coming Weeks Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- Denmark will deliver French self-propelled CAESAR howitzers to Ukraine in the coming weeks, the Danish Defense Ministry said on Friday.
• China successfully conducts land-based, mid-course antiballistic missile test Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- China successfully conducted a land-based, mid-course antiballistic missile (ABM) technical test on Friday, marking China's seventh publicly announced land-based ABM test since 2010. The country has mastered related technologies, forming a credible deterrent against nuclear threats, analysts said.
• North Korea claims launch of new solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- North Korea on Friday said it had successfully launched a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, representing a significant upgrade to its arsenal that experts told Radio Free Asia would, once perfected, allow it to fire missiles with shorter wait times.
• Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Highly Praises Members of National Defence Scientific Research Field KCNA 14 Apr 2023 -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, highly praised members of the national defence scientific research field for making a distinguished contribution to the epochal strengthening of the strategic force of the DPRK.
• Another Mighty Entity Showing Continuous Development of Strategic Force Unveiled in DPRK KCNA 14 Apr 2023 -- The DPRK's nuclear war deterrent for self-defence is rapidly developing at increasing speed in keeping with the immutable strategic line and policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK to ceaselessly develop the might of the strategic force of the DPRK to turn it into an entity of super power and absolute strength, a powerful force capable of preventing the nuclear holocaust and deterring all sorts of possible dangerous enemy invasions, and a treasured sword for defending justice and peace.
• China urges Japan to act prudently on military issues People's Daily 14 Apr 2023 -- The international community needs to stay on high alert against Japan's greatly increasing defense expenditure in recent years, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday, urging the Japanese side to act prudently on military and security issues.
• Major funding boost to progress future fighter jet programme UK MOD 14 Apr 2023 -- A £656 million funding allocation will propel the sixth-generation fighter jet programme into the next phase, focusing on technology.
• Blinken's trip to Vietnam may result in possible upgrade for US-Vietnam ties Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is hoping to upgrade relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership from the current comprehensive one during meetings with officials in Hanoi on Friday and Saturday, amid China's rising regional power and aggression in the South China Sea.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2023
• Remarks by President Biden and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of the Republic of Ireland Before Air Force One Departure The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Bilateral Meeting Between President Joe Biden and President Gustavo Petro of Colombia The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Argentina Secretary of Mining, Fernanda Ávila, and Argentina Secretary of Energy, Flavia Royon, in Buenos Aires US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2023
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Argentine Foreign Minister Cafiero in Buenos Aires US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2023
• Readout from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Senior Official Travel to Saudi Arabia The White House 14 Apr 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 14, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 14 April 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Apr 2023
• US Cast as Villain During Meeting of Afghan Neighbors VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- A gathering of regional foreign ministers to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan this week brought little in the way of new initiatives but provided a forum for several of Kabul's neighbors to blame the country's economic plight on the United States and its Western allies.
• Russia: Respect for Women's Rights, Inclusive Government Are Keys to Taliban Recognition VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Russia said Friday that Afghanistan's Taliban had made progress against terrorism and drug trafficking but needed to resolve women's rights issues and create an inclusive government to win recognition for their rule.
• Afghanistan should be venue for cooperation, not stage for geopolitical rivalries: joint statement Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the interests of all members of the international community, and the country should be a venue for international cooperation rather than a stage for geopolitical rivalries, foreign ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran stressed at the Second informal Meeting on Afghanistan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday.
• China calls for support for Afghanistan reconstruction, development Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- China's foreign minister has called for concerted efforts to support Afghanistan's reconstruction and development during a summit meeting in Uzbekistan with counterparts from nations neighboring the war-ravaged country.
• The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Locked In Standoff With The United Nations RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023
• Iranian FM says Afghanistan needs regional cooperation, not U.S.-led intervention People's Daily 14 Apr 2023 -- Iranian foreign minister on Thursday said Afghanistan is in need of regional cooperation to solve its current challenges rather than the U.S.-led intervention that had pushed the country toward poverty and instability.
• In Positive Sign, Major Detainee Release Begins in Yemen VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross said 318 detainees from both sides of the Yemen conflict were released on Friday, as part of a three-day release set to see nearly 900 prisoners return home.
• Yemen: Statement by the Spokesperson on the release of detainees European External Action Service (EEAS) 14 Apr 2023 -- The European Union welcomes the prisoner exchange operation in Yemen negotiated by UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which started today.
• Yemen-Saudi peace talks make progress as prisoner swap begins Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- The top negotiator of Yemen's Ansarullah movement says peace talks with Saudi Arabia have made progress and further discussions will be held to iron out remaining differences.
• The United States Welcomes Release of Detainees from Yemeni Conflict US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2023 -- The United States welcomes the release of nearly 900 detainees from all sides of the Yemen conflict.
• Yemen: UN envoy welcomes mass prisoner release, urges push for political solution to war UN News 14 Apr 2023 -- As a major exchange of prisoners linked to Yemen's longstanding war began on Friday, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg urged the warring sides to continue their search for a peaceful future for the embattled country.
• Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Welcoming the Breakthrough Prisoner Exchange in Yemen The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Egypt urges Turkish troop withdrawal from Syria Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- Egypt's top diplomat has called on Turkey to pull out its military forces from Syria, signaling tensions amid efforts for Cairo-Ankara rapprochement.
• Drone attack kills 8, injures 30 in Sagaing region Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- Eight people were killed and 30 were injured when a drone bombed a water festival pavilion in a village in Myanmar's northern Sagaing region.
• UN envoy urges armed groups in Colombia to engage in peace talks People's Daily 14 Apr 2023 -- The top UN envoy for Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, on Thursday called on armed groups in Colombia to engage in and promote dialogues with the aim of reducing violence and consolidating peace in the country.
• Greece Welcomes Renewed Talks with Turkey VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- NATO allies Greece and Turkey came to the brink of war just a few years ago over competing energy rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean seas. Now, as both sides near key national elections, the government in Athens is extending an olive branch, saying it is open to Turkey joining in on lucrative energy projects.
• Military Vehicles Reportedly Arriving in North Sudan as Tensions Between RSF, Army Rise Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- Sudan's powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has reinforced its positions in the northern city of Merowe after the Sudanese army warned of a possible confrontation, media reported on Thursday.
• Foreign Diplomats Concerned About Growing Tensions Within Sudan VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- In a joint statement Thursday, foreign representatives of France, Germany, Norway, Britain, the U.S. and the European Union expressed concern over growing tension between Sudan's armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.
• "Devastating Reality": 9 years after Chibok abductions, children in Northeast Nigeria continue to suffer the brutal consequences of conflict UNICEF 14 Apr 2023 -- Nine years after 276 schoolgirls were abducted in the middle of the night from their dormitory in Chibok, Nigeria, 96 girls remain in captivity, and thousands more children have been subjected to grave violations of their rights.
• Conflict in NE Nigeria still affects children 9 years after Chibok girls 'nightmare': UNICEF UN News 14 Apr 2023 -- Nearly a decade after Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls from their dormitory in Chibok, northeast Nigeria, 96 remain in captivity, the UN children's agency UNICEF said on Friday.
• 'It can happen anywhere': General Assembly reflects on Rwandan genocide UN News 14 Apr 2023 -- Hate speech is an alarm bell - the louder it rings, the greater the threat of genocide, the UN chief said on Friday as the General Assembly commemorated the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
• Secretary-General's remarks on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda - 29th Anniversary UN Secretary-General 14 Apr 2023
• Chad: Aid for displaced desperately needed to avoid hunger UN News 14 Apr 2023 -- A dire lack of humanitarian funding has left hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people in Chad facing hunger in the coming months, UN agencies said on Friday.
• WFP and UNHCR call for urgent funds to avert more ration cuts to refugees in Chad WFP 14 Apr 2023 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warned today that WFP will be forced to make additional cuts to already dwindling food assistance to refugees in April and may face a complete suspension of assistance in May 2023 - without immediate and sustained funding.
• The European Union and WFP provide emergency food assistance to conflict-affected people in northern Togo WFP 14 Apr 2023 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is ramping up its emergency food assistance to more than 30,000 people affected by the spill over of the Sahel armed conflict in the Savanes region in northern Togo - including refugees, internally displaced people (IDP) and members of the host community.

News Reports

• Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks on Charges Against Sinaloa Cartel's Global Operation US Dept. of Justice 14 Apr 2023
• Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks on Charges Against Sinaloa Cartel's Global Operation US Dept. of Justice 14 Apr 2023
• Justice Department Announces Charges Against Sinaloa Cartel's Global Operation US Dept. of Justice 14 Apr 2023 -- The Justice Department today announced charges unsealed in the Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, and District of Columbia, against several leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, a transnational drug trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico, and its facilitators across the globe.
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the Administration's Counter-Narcotics Efforts The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Joint Statement from Canada, Mexico and the United States following the First North America Trilateral Fentanyl Committee Meeting The White House 14 Apr 2023
• Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Historic Actions Against Global Illicit Fentanyl Network The White House 14 Apr 2023
• U.S. Actions Targeting Transnational Criminals for Illicit Fentanyl Activity US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2023 -- Today, the United States is announcing a series of actions against those involved in illicit fentanyl trafficking.
• U.S. Sanctions Suppliers of Precursor Chemicals for Fentanyl Production US Treasury 14 Apr 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two entities in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and five individuals, based in the PRC and Guatemala, for supplying precursor chemicals to drug cartels in Mexico for the production of illicit fentanyl intended for U.S. markets.
• Press release on a ministerial meeting in the CA5+Russia format Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Apr 2023
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Apr 2023
• Press release on the results of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council Meeting Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Apr 2023
• Russian Ambassador: Moscow Should Limit US Journalists in Russia VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Russia's ambassador to the United States has said Moscow should consider cutting the number of American journalists working in Russia.
• Council of Europe leaders express 'deep concern' for the health of Alexei Navalnyy Council of Europe 14 Apr 2023 -- Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have issued the following statement:
• The Week In Russia: Trial And Terror RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- A gruesome video adds to apparent evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. Accounts of "terrifying torture" during the occupation of Kherson expand with a Human Rights Watch report. And in Russia, a Kremlin opponent faces a verdict in a treason trial widely condemned as a farce.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the expulsion of Russian Embassy staff in Norway Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Apr 2023
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 14, 2023 PRC MofA 14 Apr 2023
• Chinese, German FMs hold comprehensive, in-depth talks as Macron's calls for Europe's strategic autonomy make waves Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and visiting Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had comprehensive, candid and in-depth communication on Friday over China-Germany and China-EU relations as well as international and regional issues, as Macron's calls for Europe's strategic autonomy made waves within the continent and across the Atlantic.
• President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva PRC MofA 14 Apr 2023 -- On the afternoon of 14 April, President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People.
• Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev Meets with Qin Gang PRC MofA 14 Apr 2023 -- On April 12, 2023 local time, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Tashkent.
• China's Repression of Uyghurs Extends Beyond Borders, Report Says VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Najmudin Ablet, a Uyghur man from Xinjiang in northwest China, traveled to Turkey in 2016 with a Chinese-issued passport. But since 2017 he has been unable to reach his family still living in Xinjiang, including his wife, two sons and three brothers.
• Being sanctioned by China after Taiwan visit is 'badge of honor': McCaul CNA 14 Apr 2023 -- United States House Representative Michael McCaul said Thursday that China's sanctions against him in the wake of his recent visit to Taiwan were a "badge of honor."
• China refutes European politicians' erroneous remarks on Taiwan question as pro-US camp reacts to Macron's 'strategic autonomy' call Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- China on Friday refuted erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question made by some European politicians, whose provocative words were also seen as reactions from the pro-US camp toward French President Emmanuel Macron's recent comments that Europe must resist pressure to become the US' followers and avoid getting dragged into a confrontation between China and the US over the Taiwan question.
• Reports on no-fly zone to north of Taiwan island inaccurate: FM Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- Reports saying Chinese mainland is setting up a no-fly zone to the north of the island of Taiwan are inaccurate, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Friday.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan April 14, 2023 ROC MND 14 Apr 2023
• EU's Cooperation With Taiwan Not Implying Possible Diplomatic Recognition Sputnik 14 Apr 2023 -- The European Union's continuous deepening of cooperation with Taiwan is not indicative of any plans to recognize the island's independence, European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said on Friday.
• Japan Slashed for Its Hostility toward DPRK KCNA 14 Apr 2023 -- The policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies of the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA on Friday as regards the fact that Japan in its recent "2023 Diplomatic Blue Book" groundlessly pulled up the DPRK over its measures for bolstering up the self-defensive military capabilities and called for "solution of the abduction issue":
• Statement on North Korea's continued missile launches Canada 14 Apr 2023
• Normalization ploys will never bring security to Israel: President Raeisi Press TV 14 Apr 2023 -- Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi has warned that normalization of Israel's relations with certain countries in the region will never contribute to the security of the Tel Aviv regime as it is on the verge of collapse.
• Iranian Religious Scholar Challenges Khamenei Over Hijab Law RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- Prominent Iranian female religious scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi has challenged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the Islamic republic's mandatory hijab law, holding him responsible for the "financial, physical, social, moral, psychological, and political" consequences of confronting opponents to the legislation.
• Prominent Iranian Rights Activist Sentenced To Seven Years For Actions 'Against The Regime' RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, a prominent Iranian civil rights activist, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and handed "additional punishments" by the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court for actions going "against the regime."
• Iran Sees More Student Poisonings in First 7 School Days of New Year VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Iran has seen renewed poisonings of schoolchildren around the country in the first seven school days of the new Persian year after a holiday hiatus, leaving many Iranians angered but no closer to knowing who is behind the poisonings and why.
• Position of China on Ukraine crisis will not affect France-China ties; two countries share common interest in ending war, says French envoy Global Times 14 Apr 2023 -- On whether China's position on the Ukraine crisis would affect the France-China relations, French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary said on Thursday that there are no preconditions raised by either China or France, and the bilateral ties should not be affected by China's position on the Ukraine crisis. The two countries shared a common interest in helping to end the war.
• Macron Backs Down on Taiwan for Beijing's Support on Ukraine, Experts Say VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has stunned allies by saying that Europe must reduce its dependency on the United States and avoid getting dragged into a confrontation between China and the U.S. over Taiwan, a position experts say is calibrated to persuade China to mediate the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
• Pakistan Still Waiting for IMF Bailout VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Cash-strapped Pakistan still does not have a date to close a key agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that will allow the release of a $1.1 billion bailout package. The IMF says the debt continues to be sustainable, however the situation has grown more pressing as the country's central bank says it only has enough foreign exchange reserves to finance another four weeks of imports.
• Oil Workers In Restive Kazakh Town Resume Rallies Demanding Jobs RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- About 100 oil workers have resumed protests in Kazakhstan's volatile town of Zhanaozen to demand jobs after a similar protest they held in Astana was forcibly dispersed earlier this week and the demonstrators were sent home.
• Kenya's Third Attempt to Launch First 3U Observation Satellite Delayed VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Taifa 1, Kenya's first operational 3U nanosatellite, was set to launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the U.S. state of California on Friday after being delayed twice. But the launch was scrubbed at the last minute because of unfavorable weather.
• Turkish City Pleads for Help as 400,000 Quake Survivors Seek Shelter VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Some 400,000 survivors of February's earthquake in southern Turkey have arrived in the coastal city of Mersin over the past two months, according to its mayor, who has pleaded for more government help to cope with the influx.
• Blinken's trip to Vietnam may result in possible upgrade for US-Vietnam ties Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is hoping to upgrade relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership from the current comprehensive one during meetings with officials in Hanoi on Friday and Saturday, amid China's rising regional power and aggression in the South China Sea.
• Hun Sen and son preside over Khmer New Year celebration near Angkor Wat Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- Prime Minister Hun Sen and his youngest son kicked off a lavish Khmer New Year celebration at the Angkor temples complex on Friday as several thousand volunteers set a world record for the largest display of origami hearts.
• High inflation puts damper on Lao New Year celebrations Radio Free Asia 14 Apr 2023 -- Ongoing double-digit inflation in Laos has put constraints on Lao New Year celebrations, the first public observance of the holiday in the country after it was put on hold for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Bosnian Serb Leader Threatens Succession Move Over Property Law Dispute RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik -- who has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain over alleged destabilization efforts and corruption -- has threatened that he could push for the independence of the Serbian entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina over a dispute involving a controversial property law.
• Sources Say U.S. Weighing Sanctions Targeting Orban Allies Amid Worsening Ties RFE/RL 14 Apr 2023 -- Allies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, including current and former officials, could soon face fresh U.S. sanctions for alleged corruption, sources told RFE/RL's Hungarian Service, a possible further sign of worsening ties between Washington and Budapest.
• Haiti: $720 million plan to support millions facing gangs, hunger and cholera UN News 14 Apr 2023 -- The UN and partners are appealing for $720 million to support more than three million people in Haiti, where gangs, hunger, and cholera have plunged nearly half the population into humanitarian need.
• Nigerian Lawmakers Probe Alleged Illegal Oil Sales to China VOA 14 Apr 2023 -- Nigerian lawmakers are investigating allegations of $2.4 billion in illegal sales of stolen oil to China.