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Defense Policy / Programs

• Memorandum on 2022 Unified Command Plan The White House 25 Apr 2023
• Memorandum on Delegation of Authority Under Section 5948(d) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 The White House 25 Apr 2023
• CENTCOM Commander Visits Turkmenistan CENTCOM 25 Apr 2023 -- On April 24, Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited Turkmenistan. In Ashgabat, Kurilla met with the nation's senior foreign affairs and military leaders, including:
• Camp Lejeune's Infantry Immersion Trainers Expose Warriors to Realities of Combat USMC News 25 Apr 2023 -- Twenty years ago, with conflicts heating up in the Middle East, there was an increased focus on the refinement of warfighting tactics in urban population centers which led to the establishment of multiple Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain training locations on Marine Corps bases for Marines to practice room-clearing procedures and to strengthen unit cohesion. As combat situations evolved and more complex situations arose with civilian populations, the Marine Corps saw the need to develop facilities that exposed Marines to more realistic settings featuring combatants and non-combatants alike. Its solution was the Infantry Immersion Trainer, or the IIT.
• Total Force MAF leaders execute rehearsal of concept for Mobility Guardian '23 US Air Force 25 Apr 2023 -- Air Mobility Command hosted Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and senior leaders from seven major commands at Phoenix Warfighter, MacDill Air Force Base, April 21. Total Force wing commanders, strategists and planners from across the Mobility Air Forces presented their planned scheme of maneuver for Mobility Guardian '23, scheduled to execute in the Indo-Pacific theater this summer.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard Celebrates Completion of Fully Mission Capable Dry Dock 4 with Ribbon Cutting US Navy 25 Apr 2023 -- Navy leadership celebrated the first project to be turned back over to the Fleet in support of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for the modernized Dry Dock 4, April 19.
• Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and United States Fleet Commanders Conduct Roundtable Discussion US Navy 25 Apr 2023 -- Naval leaders from Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States convened for an exchange of ideas on operational topics aboard the helicopter training ship ROKS Hansando (ATH-81), April 20-21.
• NRL's LASCO Telescope Collecting New Data on Asteroids and Comets US Navy 25 Apr 2023 -- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists continue to break ground using the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) telescope. The telescope, which has been in operation for the past 27 years, is now collecting new information about the properties of asteroids and comets near the sun.
• Secretary General: ''Georgia is one of NATO's closest partners'' NATO 25 Apr 2023 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (25 April 2023) for talks about strengthening the NATO-Georgia partnership.
• Russia considers abandoning missile moratorium amid US threats Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Russia says it might abandon the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range missiles, as a result of the destabilizing military programs of the United States in the region.
• Russia: Risks of direct nuclear confrontation with US keep growing Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Russia has warned that risks of direct nuclear confrontation with the United States are constantly increasing as a result of Washington's hostile attitude towards Moscow since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
• Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov's interview with TASS News Agency, April 25, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Apr 2023
• PLA Navy's aircraft carrier Shandong returns from West Pacific exercise, breaks aircraft sortie record Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- The aircraft carrier Shandong of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has reportedly returned to the South China Sea from its latest far sea exercises in the West Pacific, where it hosted about 620 aircraft sorties, far surpassing the previous record set by the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
• Vulnerable to Chinese Air Attack, Taiwan Signs Deal With US to Maintain Fighter Aircraft VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- Taiwan and the U.S. have signed two deals worth close to $420 million for maintaining fighter aircraft operated by the self-governing island that China considers its own territory.
• Australia's Defense Review Shows Its Readiness to Side With US in Possible Conflict With China Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- Implementing all the tasks outlined in Australia's defense review is a challenge that will take plenty of time, Professor Joe Siracusa, US political expert and dean of Global Futures at Curtin University, told Sputnik.
• Canadian Defense Minister: Arctic Threat Won't Be Posed by 'One Country Alone' Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- Canada's National Defense Minister Anita Anand warned during a Monday Senate hearing that the threat in the Arctic would not be posed by a single country.
• 4th India-Mozambique Joint Defence Working Group meeting held in New Delhi India PIB 25 Apr 2023 -- The 4th meeting of India-Mozambique Joint Defence Working Group was held in New Delhi on April 25, 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence Shri Amitabh Prasad and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of National Defence of Mozambique Mr Casimiro Augusto Mueio.
• 11th High Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard and the Korean Coast Guard held in New Delhi India PIB 25 Apr 2023 -- The 11th High Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard and the Korean Coast Guard was held today in New Delhi, on 25 April, 2023.
• CULMINATION OF EXERCISE COPE INDIA-2023 India PIB 25 Apr 2023 -- The sixth edition of Cope India-2023, an Air Exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and United States Air Force (USAF), conducted over the last two weeks at Air Force Stations Kalaikunda, Panagarh and Agra, culminated on 24 Apr 2023.
• Iran Navy cmdr.: New Fateh-class submarines to join Army's naval fleet 'in near future' Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says two new types of the domestically-designed Fateh (Conqueror)-class submarine will join the force "in the near future."
• IRGC at pinnacle of its power; US, Israel cannot withstand corps' capabilities: Top commander Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- The second-in-command of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the elite force has managed to become so powerful that neither the Americans nor the Zionists can hold out against it.
• How Iran once again stopped US from violating its borders IRNA 25 Apr 2023 -- Reports last week showed that Iran stopped the US military from violating its borders yet again. This time it involved an Iranian submarine and a US submarine off the Iranian territorial waters.
• Quadrilateral talks in Moscow focus on lasting peace, security: Iran's Defense min. IRNA 25 Apr 2023 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has said that the quadrilateral talks among Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkiye were held in Moscow with the aim of achieving lasting peace and security in the region.
• Fighting terrorism stressed in Moscow quadrilateral confab IRNA 25 Apr 2023 -- The Quadrilateral Moscow Conference attended by defense ministers of Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkiye emphasized the need for a joint combat against terrorism.
• Finland's Military Spending Soars to Cold War Levels as It Joins NATO Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- The Nordic country's military expenditure has risen from 1.3 to 2 percent of its GDP within a matter of several years, underpinned by a number of costly purchases such as a new fleet of US-made F-35 jets.
• Digital Press Briefing with Ambassador Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2023
• Department Press Briefing - April 25, 2023 US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 25, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 25 April 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Apr 2023
• Afghanistan rejects U.S. report on IS presence as biased propaganda People's Daily 25 Apr 2023 -- The Afghan caretaker government has dismissed claims of the U.S. Pentagon on the presence of Daesh or the hardliner Islamic State (IS) outfit in Afghanistan as biased propaganda.
• Islamic State Operative Behind Deadly Kabul Airport Attack Is Dead VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- The leader of the Islamic State terror group cell that carried out the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghan civilians is dead, slain during recent clashes with Afghanistan's ruling Taliban.
• Signs Emerge IS Struggling to Keep Up Fight in Iraq, Syria VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- Islamic State appears to be losing the ability to strike effectively in areas that were once part of the terror group's self-declared caliphate.
• Sudan crisis extension of Yemen war as Saudi-backed mercenaries go gung-ho at home: Ansarullah Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- A senior member of Yemen's popular Ansarullah resistance movement says the ongoing fighting between rival military factions in Sudan is the "continuation" of the Saudi-led war on Yemen.
• UN Chief Urges Sudan Generals to Stop Fighting Immediately VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Tuesday for the fighting between rival generals in Sudan to "stop immediately" and warned that it must not turn into a prolonged, full-scale war.
• Analysts: Countries Concerned About Sudan War's Impact on Broader Region VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- A massive evacuation of foreigners from Sudan remains underway as the conflict there reaches the 10-day mark. Analysts tell VOA, while foreigners scramble to leave the country, it does not mean they are gone for good, because there is a lot at stake — including the stability of East and Central Africa if the war in Sudan drags on.
• Power struggle imperils Sudan's future, 'lights fuse that could detonate across borders' UN News 25 Apr 2023 -- The on-going power struggle between Sudan's top generals not only puts the future of the country at risk, but threatens to "detonate across borders", fuelling widespread suffering that could go on for years, warned the UN chief on Tuesday.
• Sudan: UN aid operation continues amid dire humanitarian conditions UN News 25 Apr 2023 -- The United Nations will continue to deliver desperately needed relief for the Sudanese people, amid soaring needs, acute shortages of essentials and fast-rising prices, UN humanitarians pledged on Tuesday.
• UK government launches evacuation flights for British nationals from Sudan UK FCDO 25 Apr 2023 -- The government is starting evacuations to help British nationals leave Sudan, prioritising families with children, older people and those with medical conditions.
• Government of Canada helping Canadians in Sudan Canada 25 Apr 2023 -- As the security situation in Sudan continues to worsen, the Government of Canada is taking action to bring Canadians to safety.
• Chinese embassies in Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea assist with evacuation from Sudan Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- Chinese embassies in Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea are closely monitoring the security situation, and have sent assistance teams along the border ports to assist Chinese nationals seeking to evacuate from Sudan amid escalating conflict in the country.
• Statement by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the evacuation of Pakistani nationals from Sudan Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Apr 2023 -- In keeping with the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to the welfare of overseas Pakistanis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to lead in the relief and rescue of Pakistanis in Sudan.
• UN warns of further displacement from Sudan despite ceasefire Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- The United Nations has warned that the ongoing clashes in Sudan would trigger "further displacement" of people, who risk dangerous roads to flee the violence and seek refuge in neighboring South Sudan, Egypt and Chad.
• Sudan's Warring Sides Agree to 72-Hour Truce as US Urges Compliance Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire after approximately 600 people were killed as a result of the conflict between the two parties, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
• Netherlands Shutters Embassy in Sudan Amid Mass Evac Operations Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- The Netherlands has closed its embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, diplomats will continue to work remotely, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.
• Lasting peace, security among goals pursued in four-party talks in Moscow: Iran defense min. Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- The Iranian defense minister says achieving lasting peace and security topped the agenda of the four-party talks in Moscow between the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran.
• Shoigu Holds Bilateral Talks With Iran, Syria, Turkiye Counterparts Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held several bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of Syria, Iran and Turkiye in Moscow, and discussed ensuring global and regional security, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Withdrawal of Turkish troops discussed at four-party meeting in Moscow: Syria Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Damascus says defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran have discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Arab country, as efforts continue to mend ties between Ankara and Damascus.
• Unilateral, unlawful US sanctions worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria, UN envoy laments Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Syria's permanent representative to the UN has warned that the "illegitimate and inhumane" sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in his country.
• Sudan's Warring Sides Pledge to Observe 3-Day Cease-fire VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- A three-day cease-fire between Sudan's warring factions went into effect Tuesday after what the United States called "intense negotiation."
• Sudan's warring sides agree to 72-hour truce, as foreign nations get citizens out Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a 72-hour truce mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
• Sudan conflict could engulf region and beyond: UN chief People's Daily 25 Apr 2023 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the military conflict in Sudan could engulf the whole region and beyond.
• Junta helicopter drops bomb on hospital where war refugees were being treated Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- A hospital in Myanmar's southern Shan state that's been providing care to war refugees and civilians was bombed by the military junta on Tuesday, according to a local People's Defense Force official.
• Myanmar junta troops torch 370 homes in Sagaing village Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- Myanmar junta troops on Friday torched more than 370 in Inn Sa, a village 20 miles northwest of Sagaing city. About 100 soldiers took part in the raid, which forced more than 1,500 residents to flee.
• Myanmar military beheads man in Sagaing region village Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- Junta troops tortured a man and cut off his head after raiding a village in Myanmar's northern Sagaing region, locals told RFA.
• US Reiterates Support for Mozambique's Fight Against Cabo Delgado Militants VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- The U.S. is reiterating its support for Mozambique in the country's fight against Islamist militants in oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. A visiting U.S. official said the U.S. will continue to provide security assistance and work with the World Bank to help build schools and hospitals in the troubled region.
• Cameroon to Redeploy Troops to CAR, Nigeria Borders Amid Spike in Attacks VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- Cameroon's military plans to redeploy troops to its borders with Nigeria and the Central African Republic after an increase in attacks from militants and rebels.
• Israel-Palestine: UN envoy calls for greater effort towards peace amid mounting violence UN News 25 Apr 2023 -- The current trajectory of escalating unrest between Israelis and Palestinians is neither sustainable nor inevitable, UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland told the Security Council on Tuesday, delivering his latest report.
• "Peace will only be sustainable if both Israelis and Palestinians recommit themselves to a negotiated settlement": UK Statement on the Middle East UK FCDO 25 Apr 2023 -- Statement by Ambassador Woodward at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East
• Canada concerned with latest developments in Lachin Corridor Canada 25 Apr 2023
• Will Serb Rejection Of Kosovar Passports Dissolve Now That EU Is Liberalizing Visa Regime? RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- Frustrated by decades of outsider status and bromides about European unity and integration, Kosovo got a morale boost last week when the European Union agreed to liberalize its visa regime for Kosovar passport holders by January 2024.
• Bosnia International Representative Urges Country's Politicians To Find Negotiated Solution To Property Dispute RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- The high representative of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, has again urged local politicians to resolve a dispute regarding state property in the face of continuing claims by ethnic Serbs that such property belongs to the country's two entities and not to the Bosnian state.

News Reports

• Foreign Military Intelligence Official Sentenced for Role in International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy US Dept. of Justice 25 Apr 2023 -- A former Colombian military intelligence official was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States.
• Ministers from MONEYVAL member states ministers commit to strengthen fight against money laundering and terrorist financing Council of Europe 25 Apr 2023 -- Ministers responsible for anti-money laundering policies from the member states and territories of the Council of Europe's MONEYVAL Committee have committed to improving the effectiveness of their regimes to prevent and combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• Meeting with Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area Dmitry Artyukhov President of Russia 25 Apr 2023 -- The President met with Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area Dmitry Artyukhov to discuss the region's current socioeconomic performance and its further development.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Apr 2023
• Lavrov and Guterres Touch on Ukraine, Mideast & Grain Deal at UNSC Meeting Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed, at a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the situation in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, as well as cooperation between Russia and the UN and the implementation of the Black Sea grain deal, the Russian Foreign Ministry has detailed.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Riyad al-Maliki, New York, April 25, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Apr 2023
• Five officials at the Russian Embassy expelled Government Offices of Sweden 25 Apr 2023
• Russia Expels Moldovan Diplomat, Bans Entry Of Moldovan Officials RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- Moscow is expelling a Moldovan diplomat and banning the entry of several Moldovan officials in retaliation after Chisinau declared a Russian Embassy staffer persona non grata.
• New York Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Money Laundering to Promote Sanctions Violations by Associate of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch US Dept. of Justice 25 Apr 2023 -- A New York attorney pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to make approximately $3.8 million in U.S. dollar payments to maintain six real properties in the United States that were owned by Viktor Vekselberg, a sanctioned oligarch.
• Global Public Perception of Russia's Leadership Eroded Sharply in 2022 VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- In the aftermath of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine last year, global attitudes toward Russia's leadership have shifted dramatically, with large majorities of the population in dozens of countries reporting disapproval of the Kremlin.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on April 25, 2023 PRC MofA 25 Apr 2023
• China Accepts US Envoy's Credentials More Than a Year After His Arrival VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, more than one year after Burns arrived in Beijing. While the U.S. State Department downplayed the implication of the delay, some analysts said it reflects "the frozen nature" of current US-China diplomatic ties.
• Ill-intentioned hype on remarks by Chinese envoy to France won't create 'big waves' for China-EU ties: experts Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- A debate is underway in Europe on how to deal with China and strike a balance between EU-China relations and EU-US partnership, before the European Council meeting in June where European leaders will put EU's China policy on the agenda.
• Our position on China: Speech by the Foreign Secretary UK FCDO 25 Apr 2023 -- The Foreign Secretary outlined the UK's position on China at Mansion House
• HK District Councils to be retained with electoral elements, won't be secessionism platforms Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday revealed that the review of district administration has entered its final stage and the District Councils will be retained with a certain electoral component. At same time, he stressed that Hong Kong would not allow District Councils to become a platform for "Hong Kong secessionism."
• Activist appeals to Malaysian prime minister to support the Uyghur cause Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- A prominent Uyghur activist has appealed to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to support the persecuted mostly Muslim ethnic group in northwestern China's Xinjiang region.
• Over 70% trade between China, Russia is settled in local currencies: Russian finance minister Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- The trade between China and Russia using yuan or rubles has climbed up quickly to account for more than 70 percent of their trade, as more countries are calling for trade to be carried out in their own currencies, and using the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar.
• China completes comprehensive unified real estate registry, a boon for sector development Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- China has completed a comprehensive, nationally unified real estate registry, Minister of Natural Resources Wang Guanghua announced on Tuesday, marking a major breakthrough in the country's decade-long effort to establish a unified property registration system.
• Leaked memo shows top Communist Party officials intervened in sentencing of Fang Bin Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- Officials at the highest level of the Chinese Communist Party's law enforcement arm ordered a court in the central city of Wuhan to drop subversion charges against citizen journalist Fang Bin and to keep his trial quiet to avoid international media attention, leaked documents show.
• EU's Top Diplomat Supports Beijing's Call to Recognize Former Soviet States VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- The European Union's top diplomat described as good news China's distancing from controversial comments from one of its envoys who questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states.
• China details International Lunar Research Station building plans Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- China plans to work with global partners to construct a basic version of International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) before 2028, an improved version of ILRS earlier than 2040, and a further complete one with application functions by around 2050, Director General of Deep Space Exploration Laboratory Wu Weiren said on Tuesday.
• Taiwan Voters Consider US-China Tensions VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- When Taiwan's former and current presidents each embarked on overseas trips this month, their travels highlighted how rising tensions between the United States and China are seen by the islands' voters who will pick a new leader in January.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan April 25, 2023 ROC MND 25 Apr 2023
• Taiwan, Guatemala leaders hold bilateral talks in Taipei CNA 25 Apr 2023 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei held bilateral talks in Taipei on Tuesday.
• Guatemalan president calls for support for Taiwan amid Chinese threat CNA 25 Apr 2023 -- The international community should support Taiwan in the face of threats from China, visiting Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei told Taiwan's Legislature on Tuesday.
• MAC condemns China's arrest of Taiwanese activist CNA 25 Apr 2023 -- China's "willful" arrest of Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵) severely hurts the rights of Taiwanese people and creates fear that will dampen cross-strait relations, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday.
• China approves arrest of Taiwanese activist: Beijing media CNA 25 Apr 2023 -- The Supreme People's Procuratorate has granted a request to arrest Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵), who has been detained since Aug. 3, 2022 in Wenzhou on charges of secession, Chinese media reported Tuesday.
• China to prosecute Taiwan pro-independence politician for 'secession' Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- Chinese authorities have announced the formal arrest of a leading Taiwanese nationalist politician for 'secession' after holding him incommunicado for months, paving the way for a criminal trial over his activities on the democratic island.
• Taiwan question not comparable to Korean Peninsula issue: Chinese Embassy in S.Korea Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- The issue of the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan question are not comparable as they have a different nature and an evolving process, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea said on Monday in response to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's Taiwan-related remarks.
• Zhejiang procuratorate approves arrest of Taiwan resident suspected of endangering national security Global Times 25 Apr 2023 -- The Wenzhou procuratorate in East China's Zhejiang Province has approved the arrest of Yang Chih-yuan on suspicion of crimes of splitting the country, according to China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Tuesday. Yang, a resident from the Taiwan island, is suspected of engaging in separatist activities and endangering national security.
• Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks Announcing Significant Nation-State Threats Cases US Dept. of Justice 25 Apr 2023
• United States Obtains $629 Million Settlement with British American Tobacco to Resolve Illegal Sales to North Korea, Charges Facilitators in Illicit Tobacco Trade US Dept. of Justice 25 Apr 2023 -- British American Tobacco (BAT) and its subsidiary, BAT Marketing Singapore (BATMS), one of the world's largest manufacturers of tobacco products based in the United Kingdom, has agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $629 million to resolve bank fraud and sanctions violations charges with U.S. authorities, arising out of the companies' scheme to do business in North Korea through a third-party company in Singapore, in violation of the bank fraud statute and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Treasury Announces $508 Million Settlement with British American Tobacco Largest Ever Against Non-Financial Institution US Treasury 25 Apr 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a $508 million settlement agreement with London-headquartered British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) to resolve its apparent violations of U.S. sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This settlement is OFAC's largest ever with a non-financial institution and reflects the statutory maximum penalty.
• Tobacco Giant to Pay $629 Million to Settle Charges it Violated US Sanctions on North Korea VOA 25 Apr 2023 -- In the largest penalty of its kind, tobacco giant British American Tobacco has agreed to pay U.S. authorities nearly $630 million to settle charges of violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea.
• U.S. Department of State Announces Reward Offers for Information Leading to the Arrests and/or Convictions of Three Transnational Criminals Violating DPRK Sanctions US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2023 -- "Today, the U.S. Department of State, through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), is announcing a reward offer of up to $5,000,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) national Sim Hyon-Sop."
• Kim Ju Ae's fancy outfits and frequent TV appearances are generating resentment Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- Donning ever-fancier clothing at each new public appearance, 10-year-old Kim Ju Ae is starting to become an object of resentment in the eyes of many North Koreans, sources in the country say.
• South Korea's Yoon and Biden likely to discuss nuclear deterrence, trade at summit Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol is in the United States this week for a state visit to mark Seoul's 70-year alliance with Washington and for talks with President Joe Biden that will likely focus on trade and deterrence against North Korean nuclear capabilities, experts told Radio Free Asia.
• Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea During a Visit to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The White House 25 Apr 2023
• Readout of Vice President Harris's Engagement with President Yoon on Space Cooperation The White House 25 Apr 2023
• Re-imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions threaten multilateralism: Iran envoy to UN ISNA 25 Apr 2023 -- Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani stressed that the US' unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, re-imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran, its coercion of other countries to engage in these illegal actions, and defiance of the International Court of Justice's order are striking examples of how such harmful unilateral acts violate the UN Charter, undermine the UN system and threaten the multilateralism.
• Iran imposes retaliatory sanctions against some of EU, UK individuals, entities ISNA 25 Apr 2023 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has in a statement announced sanctions against a number of individuals and legal entities in the European Union and in the United Kigndom in what it says is a countermeasure measure against their acts of interference in Iran's affairs.
• Tehran University Students Clash With Security Forces Over Hijab Punishment RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- Tehran University security forces and students clashed on April 25 over the mandatory hijab law as tensions on campuses around the country continue to rise over the issue.
• Kazakh Prosecutor Seeks Eight Years In Prison For Wife Of Jailed Nazarbaev's Nephew RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- A prosecutor in Kazakhstan asked a court in Astana on April 25 to convict and sentence the wife of a jailed nephew of the Central Asian nation's former strongman President Nursultan Nazarbaev to eight years in prison on charges of corruption, organizing a felony, and abduction over the alleged illegal appropriation of shares and assets of a number of enterprises.
• Shahabuddin Chuppu takes oath as 22nd Bangladeshi president People's Daily 25 Apr 2023 -- Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu, a retired judge and former commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission, took the oath as the 22nd president of Bangladesh Monday, with parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administering the oath of office to Shahabuddin.
• Venezuela's opposition figure Guaido expelled from Colombia over illegal entry Press TV 25 Apr 2023 -- Colombia has expelled Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, hours after he arrived in Bogota for a conference to discuss his country's political crisis.
• Colombia Denies Expulsion of Venezuelan Opposition Figure Juan Guaido Sputnik 25 Apr 2023 -- Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido's departure from Colombia has been arranged and accompanied by US agents rather than forced by Colombian authorities, Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran said on Tuesday.
• Cambodia's opposition should use its wilderness years to recover its base Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2023 -- There's still three months until Cambodia's general election but it's safe to assume that the Candlelight Party, the main opposition party, will be disappointed. If it wins a handful of seats in the National Assembly that would be quite an achievement, as would getting to July without being forcibly dissolved.
• No Queues, No Problem? Turkmen Officials Eyeing End Of Two-Tier Food System RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- Earlier this month some 500 people - newly elected councilors, state officials, and ordinary citizens - gathered at a government building in the city of Turkmenbashy to discuss a possible end to the rationing of subsidized food.
• Georgian PM Presses Country's EU, NATO Aspirations During Brussels Visit RFE/RL 25 Apr 2023 -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili met in Brussels with European Union and NATO leaders to press the Caucasus nation's bid to join those international organizations.