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News Reports

Current Operations

• Defense Department Ready to Support State Department Ensuring Safe Passage of Americans in Sudan DoD News 27 Apr 2023 -- The Defense Department remains actively engaged with the State Department in monitoring the security situation in Sudan, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a news conference at the Pentagon today.
• Message to the Congress on Executive Order on Authority to Order the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty to Address International Drug Trafficking The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Executive Order on Authority to Order the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty to Address International Drug Trafficking The White House 27 Apr 2023

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing DoD 27 Apr 2023
• Senior DOD Leaders Host on-the-Record Media Roundtable on the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 22) Department of Defense (DoD) Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military DoD 27 Apr 2023
• MacDill AFB conducts Operation Violent Storm US Air Force 27 Apr 2023 -- The 6th Air Refueling Wing, in collaboration with the 927th ARW and the U.S. Army's 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducted Operation Violent Storm at MacDill Air Force Base, April 26.
• 7th Fleet Aircraft Transits Taiwan Strait US Navy 27 Apr 2023 -- A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on April 28, 2023 (local time). By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations. The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait.
• Department of Defense Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military DoD 27 Apr 2023 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military.
• General Expresses Concerns Over Readiness in Sealift, Air Refueling DoD News 27 Apr 2023 -- Funding levels must enable the United States to preserve its logistical dominance, Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, said today at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss the president's fiscal year 2024 budget request.
• U.S.-Philippine Forces Sink Target Ship for First Time in Balikatan Exercise USMC News 27 Apr 2023 -- A combined force of U.S. and Philippine servicemembers participated in a combined joint littoral live-fire exercise today, the culminating field training event for Balikatan 2023.
• Mississippi Guard hosts Southern Strike exercise US Air Force 27 Apr 2023 -- One of the U.S. Air Force's newest concepts, Agile Combat Employment, is the focus of the Southern Strike 2023 exercise at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center.
• $41.4M Contract Awarded for AHTS Flight Simulator Facility US Navy 27 Apr 2023 -- The new modern facility will include high fidelity simulators, mixed reality simulators and smart classroom technology.
• US Resumes Large-Scale Production of Plutonium Pits for Nukes Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- During the Cold War, the US produced thousands of "plutonium pit" detonators at the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado. Production halted in 1989 after the FBI and the EPA uncovered massive violations of environmental regulations. A small handful of pits has since been produced at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
• The Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), General ( * * * * ) Michael E. Kurilla, visits the IDF Israel Defense Forces 27 Apr 2023
• Secretary General: "Luxembourg is at the forefront of NATO's innovation agenda" NATO 27 Apr 2023
• Presentation of organisations working in the unmanned aerial systems sector President of Russia 27 Apr 2023 -- Vladimir Putin met with representatives of manufacturers and operators of unmanned aerial systems at the Rudnyovo industrial park.
• Russia says seeks no nuclear escalation, but its patience should not be tested Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- Russia says it does not plan to take the path of nuclear escalation, warning that others should not put its patience to test.
• Ukraine In 'Strong Position' To Retake Territory, NATO Chief Says RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Military aid from allies and partners has substantially improved Ukraine's prospects to liberate territories occupied by Russia since the start of its unprovoked invasion, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on April 27, as Kyiv reported that heavy fighting was under way for control of Bakhmut, the eastern city that has been at the epicenter of Russia's offensive.
• Ukraine has received nearly all pledged combat vehicles, NATO chief claims Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- US-led NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks, chief of the US-led military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg has claimed.
• Chinese defense minister attends SCO meeting in India to enhance security cooperation Global Times 27 Apr 2023 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Li Shangfu reportedly arrived in India on Thursday to start a two-day visit and attend a defense ministers' meeting among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with experts expecting positive outcomes in enhancing security cooperation.
• 25 U.S. defense contractors to visit Taiwan next week for forum: Source CNA 27 Apr 2023 -- Representatives from 25 U.S. defense contractors will arrive in Taiwan next Tuesday to attend an industry forum and meet with local officials, a military source told CNA Wednesday.
• Taiwan inviting 'wolves' through US defense industry forum: China Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- China has warned that the self-governing Taiwan island is inviting "wolves" into the homeland by hosting a US defense industry forum next week.
• Chiefs prepare for change Australia DOD 27 Apr 2023 -- Defence chiefs have described the release of the Defence Strategic Review as a significant moment in Australia's approach to developing its military capability.
• Cormorant helicopter upgrades to deliver improved Search and Rescue capabilities and economic opportunities for Canadians Canada 27 Apr 2023 -- Today, National Defence Minister Anita Anand visited IMP Aerospace in Enfield, Nova Scotia, and joined representatives from Leonardo U.K. Ltd., IMP Aerospace, and other partners, who announced that IMP Aerospace has received a major sub-contract for the Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) Project.
• Raksha Mantri meets China's State Councillor & Minister of National Defence ahead of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi India PIB 27 Apr 2023 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China General Li Shangfu in New Delhi on April 27, 2023. The two Ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.
• Raksha Mantri holds bilateral meetings with his Kazakh & Tajikistani counterparts on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi India PIB 27 Apr 2023 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held separate bilateral meetings with Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Colonel General Ruslan Zhaxylykov and Minister of Defence of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Mirzo in New Delhi on April 27, 2023.
• Raksha Mantri holds bilateral meeting with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi India PIB 27 Apr 2023 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Iran's Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani in New Delhi on April 27, 2023.
• INDO-UK JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE "AJEYA WARRIOR - 2023" TO COMMENCE AT SALISBURY PLAINS, UNITED KINGDOM India PIB 27 Apr 2023 -- The 7th edition of joint military exercise "AJEYA WARRIOR-23" between India and the United Kingdom is being conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 27 April to 11 May 2023.
• Iran's Air Defense Force 'absolute power' in region: Top commander Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The commander of the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force says his forces are the "absolute power" in the region, citing their self-reliance in producing military equipment and capability to export them.
• Iran Can Now Track Unique Radar Signature of Individual F-35 Jets Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- Burdened by decades of Western restrictions on arms imports in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic has created a powerful homegrown defense sector, ranging from radar and missile systems to satellites and defense electronics.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Meets With President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol DoD 27 Apr 2023
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Welcomes Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Pentagon DoD 27 Apr 2023
• South Korean President Yoon Visits Pentagon, Discusses Deterrence DoD News 27 Apr 2023 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III today in the Pentagon to discuss the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance and to discuss ways to make that alliance even closer.
• US-S.Korea agreements add new danger; 'extended deterrence' could trigger 'another nuclear crisis' in peninsula Global Times 27 Apr 2023 -- US President Joe Biden and visiting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol reached a series of strategic agreements on "extended deterrence" against North Korea, as well as the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, drawing firm opposition and strong criticism from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
• US nuclear submarines to dock in S Korea in rare visit amid tension with North Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The US military is set to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea in a purported move to show its resolve to protect Seoul against the North Korea.
• South Korean president calls for stronger security ties with U.S. and Japan Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea on Thursday for its nuclear ambitions and called for a stronger trilateral security relationship between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter North Korean nuclear threats.
• South Korean Conservatives Lament 'Nuclear Shackles' Following Yoon-Biden Summit VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- The United States' pledge to reinforce its nuclear umbrella protecting South Korea has failed to quiet some South Korean conservatives who want their country to develop nuclear weapons.
• Parliamentary Secretary Gunda Reire in Norway: the interests of the Baltic and Nordic countries are closely linked in security policy Latvia MFA 27 Apr 2023 -- On 27 April 2023, in Oslo, Norway, Gunda Reire, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, met with Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Lithuania plans spending over EUR 3.1 billion for military stocks Lithuania MND 27 Apr 2023 -- As part of the planned progress of National Defence System, the Ministry of National Defence foresees spending over EUR 3.1 billion on military stockpiles which would comprise various required calibers of ammunition in the coming decade. The amount is the worth of at least 12% of the entire annual defence budget and an extension by one fifth as compared to the previous level of ambition.
• The President in Germany: Permanent presence of allied troops in Lithuania is our priority President of the Republic of Lithuania 27 Apr 2023 -- President Gitanas Nausėda continues his working visit to Germany. On Thursday, the President met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
• Statement from President Joe Biden on New Steps to Punish and Deter Wrongful Detention and Hostage-Taking The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the Administration's Actions to Punish and Deter Wrongful Detention and Hostage-Taking The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Sanctioning Russian Federation and Iranian State Actors Responsible for the Wrongful Detention of U.S. Nationals US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• Treasury Sanctions Officials of Iranian Intelligence Agency Responsible for Detention of U.S. Nationals in Iran US Treasury 27 Apr 2023 -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four senior officials of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO), an entity that is being concurrently designated by the State Department for its role in the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Iran.
• U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Iran's IRGC Intelligence Unit, Russia's FSB For Detentions Of U.S. Citizens RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- The United States on April 27 added new sanctions against the intelligence unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) for allegedly taking part in the detention of Americans in Iran and Russia.
• Biden Slaps Sanctions on Russia's FSB, Iran's IRGC for Detaining Americans VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- The Biden administration on Thursday announced new sanctions against the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the intelligence arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for their roles in wrongfully detaining Americans abroad.
• Biden may briefly visit Papua New Guinea on way to summit in Sydney Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- President Joe Biden may stop in Papua New Guinea for several hours on his way to Australia later this month, an official and media reports said, in an attempt to highlight a renewed U.S. commitment to the Pacific after inroads by China.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And UN Secretary-General António Guterres Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Special Online Briefing with Joseph Kennedy III, Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• Digital Press Briefing on the 40th Anniversary of the U.S. Department of State's Antiterrorism Program US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 27, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 27 April 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Apr 2023
• Afghanistan: Security Council condemns Taliban's ban on women working for UN UN News 27 Apr 2023 -- In a landmark resolution, the UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the de facto rulers of Afghanistan's decision to ban women nationals from working for the United Nations, calling for Taliban leaders to "swiftly reverse" their decision.
• Security Council to Taliban: Reverse Restrictions on Afghan Women, Girls VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- The U.N. Security Council demanded unanimously Thursday that Afghanistan's Taliban leaders swiftly reverse their restrictions on women's access to education and work, and it condemned a recent ban on local female staff working for the United Nations.
• Joint Statement by the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad on Sudan US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023 -- The following is a joint statement by the Trilateral Mechanism (the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations) and the Quad (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) on Sudan.
• UN Refugee Agency: Mass Exodus From Sudan Could Trigger Regional Instability VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- The U.N. refugee agency is appealing to Sudan's neighbors to keep their borders open to people fleeing the fighting that erupted on April 15.
• India Evacuates Hundreds of Citizens From Sudan VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- India has evacuated about 1,100 of its nationals from Sudan since it mounted an operation to rescue citizens stranded amid intense fighting between the army and a paramilitary force in the strife torn African nation.
• Statement on Sudan conflict Australia MFA 27 Apr 2023
• PLA naval vessels evacuate more than 1,300 Chinese and citizens of 5 other countries from Sudan Global Times 27 Apr 2023 -- More than 1,300 Chinese personnel have been safely evacuated as of Thursday afternoon after the Chinese military sent naval vessels to evacuate Chinese nationals from Sudan on Wednesday. The Global Times learned that this is the third time the Chinese Navy has carried out such evacuation missions, and only the second time that a Chinese warship has directly docked at a foreign port for evacuation missions.
• Fears of greater humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan Government of Norway 27 Apr 2023 -- The ongoing hostilities in Sudan have led to the temporary suspension of many emergency aid operations.
• Successful evacuation operation completed - but challenges in Sudan remain Government Offices of Sweden 27 Apr 2023 -- On Saturday 15 April, intense fighting erupted in Sudan. For the Government, taking quick action was of the utmost importance, and evacuation preparations began the same day.
• Aerial strikes by Sudan army rock Khartoum despite truce Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The Sudanese army has launched airstrikes against positions of paramilitary forces in the capital Khartoum despite its acceptance of extending a ceasefire.
• Sudanese Army General Open to Talks With Rival Paramilitary Leader - South Sudan Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Burhan has agreed to speak with the rebel paramilitary commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the acting foreign minister of South Sudan said Wednesday.
• Joint statement on extension of ceasefire in Sudan UK FCDO 27 Apr 2023 -- A joint statement by the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad on Sudan.
• UN humanitarians will return to Khartoum 'as quickly as possible': UN aid coordinator UN News 27 Apr 2023 -- The UN has been forced to essentially halt all aid operations across Sudan due to the continuing fighting between rival militaries, but humanitarians who have re-located to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast are determined to return to Khartoum "as quickly as possible", the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said on Thursday.
• Syria: UN envoy points to 'important juncture' in efforts towards peace UN News 27 Apr 2023 -- Renewed diplomatic attention on Syria in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquakes that hit the country and neighbouring Türkiye could help to unlock stalled peace efforts, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Junta raids force more than 7,000 villagers to flee northern town Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- More than 7,000 residents of villages in Sagaing region's Salingyi township have fled their homes ahead of junta raids, according to a member of the pro-democracy Salingyi-Yinmarbin Strike Committee.
• Myanmar's western Chin state pummeled by junta's air force in April Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- Myanmar's junta carried out 47 airstrikes, killing at least 19 people and destroying multiple religious buildings and civilian homes in Chin state in April alone, a rights group said Thursday.
• Q&A: Ban Ki-moon's Unannounced Myanmar Peace Trip Draws Questions VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- This week former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon went on an unannounced trip to Myanmar, where he met with the country's military rulers and urged them to find a peaceful resolution to their more than two-year-old violent political crisis.
• Naxal attack kills 10 policemen, driver in central India People's Daily 27 Apr 2023 -- Ten policemen and a driver were killed on Wednesday after their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the Naxal rebels in India's central state of Chhattisgarh, police said.
• China: 'Vocational training' programmes for Tibetans carry risk of forced labour UN News 27 Apr 2023 -- So-called "labour transfer" and "vocational training" programmes in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, threaten Tibetan cultural identity and could lead to forced labour conditions, UN independent human rights experts warned on Thursday.
• Lawmakers In Serb Entity Vote To Quit Bosnia's Constitutional Court RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- The parliament of Republika Srpska has voted to quit the ethnic Serb entity's participation in the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina amid an ongoing dispute with the central government and the representatives of the international community over property rights.
• Regional stability still at risk without 'increased commitment' to negotiations: UN Kosovo mission chief UN News 27 Apr 2023 -- Leaders in Albanian-majority Kosovo and the Serb minority there backed by Belgrade, need to take "courageous" action towards normalizing relations, or risk growing regional instability, the head of the UN mission there (UNMIK) told the Security Council on Thursday.
• The UK remains committed to supporting an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo UK FCDO 27 Apr 2023 -- Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the United Nations at the Security Council meeting on Kosovo
• Checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor: UK statement to the OSCE UK FCDO 27 Apr 2023 -- Deputy Ambassador Brown expresses concern regarding ongoing disruptions to the Lachin Corridor and urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume substantive negotiations.
• Armenian PM Meets French Foreign Minister Amid Rising Tensions Around Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian met with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on April 27 in Yerevan after calling international attention to rising tensions with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Peace Talks Between Ethiopian Government, OLA Continue in Tanzania VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Peace talks between Ethiopia's federal government and the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) have started in Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar.
• Fear Grips Nigeria's Abuja Region After Mass Abduction of Villagers, Children VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Nigerian police are investigating the abduction this week of at least 29 people from a village in the territory of the federal capital, Abuja. Officials say gunmen raided Yewuti village, taking victims on foot into the bush, including children.

News Reports

• Ministry of the Interior publishes report on the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service Finnish Government 27 Apr 2023 -- The Ministry of the Interior has published a report on the operation of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service concerning Matti Saarelainen, who previously held high-level positions both at the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the Immigration Office.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• Treasury Sanctions Fugitive, Others Linked to CJNG Timeshare Fraud Network US Treasury 27 Apr 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Eduardo Pardo Espino, who is a fugitive from a U.S. drug trafficking charge, along with six other individuals and 19 Mexican companies. These individuals and companies are linked, directly or indirectly, to timeshare fraud led by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), which is a violent Mexico-based organization that traffics a significant proportion of the illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs that enter the United States.
• Joint Press Release: Pakistan - European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue, April 27 2023 Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 27 Apr 2023 -- The European Union-Pakistan Counter Terrorism Dialogue was held in Brussels on 27 April 2023. The Dialogue offered an opportunity to engage in important discussions on counter- terrorism cooperation, as part of a wider engagement on Security matters in the framework of the 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 27, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 27 Apr 2023
• Putin Prepares 'Hard-Hitting' Response if Russian Assets Seized Abroad Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- The decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on transfer of foreign assets to temporary management by Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management if Moscow's own assets abroad are seized is about minimizing the country's risks, Nikolai Solabuto, a financial market expert, told Sputnik.
• Russia Rejects U.S. Request For Second Consular Visit With Journalist Amid Visa Fight RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Russia has rejected a U.S. Embassy request for a second consular visit with jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich, saying the move is in response to Washington's refusal to issue entry visas to Russian journalists who planned to accompany Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his trip to the United Nation's session in New York this week.
• Russia Rejects US Request to Visit Detained Journalist Over Visa Denials VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Russia said Thursday it is denying an upcoming consular visit to detained U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich in retaliation for an American refusal to issue visas to several Russian journalists.
• China's top legislature concludes standing committee session People's Daily 27 Apr 2023 -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its second session Wednesday in Beijing.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on April 27, 2023 PRC MofA 27 Apr 2023
• China will firmly oppose new US policy to restrict investment in China if reports are true: MOFCOM Global Times 27 Apr 2023 -- China will firmly oppose new US policy to restrict investment in China if related reports are true, Shu Jueting, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) told a press conference on Thursday, as the Biden administration stepped up its suppression of China's high-tech industry.
• Argentina to pay for Chinese imports in yuan instead of dollars Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The global trend of substituting the US dollar with local currencies in trade transactions is speeding up as more countries are ditching the greenback.
• Calls grow for British government to speak out against Hong Kong's media crackdown Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- British lawmakers and the son of jailed media magnate Jimmy Lai have criticized the United Kingdom for failing to oppose China's crackdown on Hong Kong's once-free media and support embattled journalists in the city.
• UK Confucius Institutes enable 'transnational repression,' study says Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- Chinese staff at the so-called Confucius Institutes across the United Kingdom are recruited to enforce Chinese Communist Party (CCP) discipline and values in the country, new research has found.
• China is leading the electric vehicle charge with 60% of worldwide sales Radio Free Asia 27 Apr 2023 -- China led the electric vehicle market last year with 60% of total sales globally, a new report said on Wednesday.
• China revises Counter-Espionage Law People's Daily 27 Apr 2023 -- Chinese lawmakers on Wednesday voted to adopt a revised Counter-Espionage Law, which will take effect on July 1, 2023.
• China urges UK to stop making groundless accusations against China: spokesperson People's Daily 27 Apr 2023 -- China urges the UK to be prudent in its words and actions, stop making groundless accusations against China and interfering in the country's internal affairs, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
• China to build integrated positioning, navigation system based on next generation of BDS by 2035 Global Times 27 Apr 2023 -- China aims to build a more ubiquitous, integrated, and intelligent comprehensive system with the next generation BeiDou System (BDS) at its core by 2035 to provide efficient positioning, navigation and timing services, according to the China Satellite Navigation Annual Conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.
• Terry Gou blasts government's cross-strait policies in university speech CNA 27 Apr 2023 -- Business tycoon and Kuomintang (KMT) presidential hopeful Terry Gou (郭台銘) blasted the government's cross-Taiwan Strait policies on Thursday, while vowing to stop the "harassment" of Taiwan by Chinese warplanes if elected.
• Mainland spokesperson slams DPP for undermining status quo across Taiwan Strait People's Daily 27 Apr 2023 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Wednesday that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities blatantly advocated the "two states" theory, colluded with external forces to divide the country, and they were the destroyer of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
• China Reveals It Arrested Taiwan-Based Book Publisher on National Security Charge VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- After days of speculation about the whereabouts of a Taiwan-based book publisher, Beijing revealed that authorities arrested the China critic for allegedly "endangering national security."
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan April 27, 2023 ROC MND 27 Apr 2023
• The Ministry of National Defense issues a press release explaining the false speculation by the media regarding "Adjustment operations of important military positions in the Armed Forces" (April 27, 2023) ROC MND 27 Apr 2023
• Remarks by Vice President Harris at a State Department Luncheon for President Yoon Suk Yeol and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee of the Republic of Korea The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Remarks by President Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea at State Dinner The White House 27 Apr 2023
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a State Luncheon in Honor of Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-Yeol US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2023
• South Korean President: World Democratic Ideals 'At Risk' VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday hailed 70 years of friendship and cooperation with the United States but warned that the democratic ideals of the two countries are "at risk" throughout the world because "false propaganda and disinformation are distorting the truth and public opinion."
• China warns US, S Korea against 'stirring tensions' with Pyongyang Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- China has warned the US and South Korea against "stirring up tensions" and "provoking confrontation" with the North following Washington's decision to deploy nuclear submarines to Seoul to purportedly protect it against Pyongyang.
• Merchant Vessel Seized by IRGCN in Gulf of Oman CENTCOM 27 Apr 2023 -- On April 27 at approximately 1:15 p.m. 1ocal time, Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The oil tanker issued a distress call during the seizure. U.S. 5th Fleet is monitoring the situation.
• Iranian Forces Seize Marshall Islands-Flagged Oil Tanker In Gulf Of Oman RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Iranian forces have seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Navy and Iranian state media reported on April 27, the latest string of hijackings in the region began in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
• Iran seizes fleeing oil tanker which hit vessel, leaving two missing in Sea of Oman Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman and directed it toward the country's territorial waters after the ship hit an Iranian vessel and tried to flee in violation of maritime regulations.
• Plainclothes Agents Reported To Be Enforcing Iran's Hijab Law In Tehran RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Plainclothes security agents are reportedly appearing in public spaces throughout the Iranian capital of Tehran, warning women to observe the mandatory hijab law amid a wave of defiance against the dress code following the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head scarf offense.
• Berlin Urges Tehran to Cancel Death Sentence for Iranian-German Citizen VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Germany is condemning as "unacceptable" the death sentence handed down in Iran against Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dual citizen and opposition figure accused of masterminding a deadly 2008 bombing of a mosque in Shiraz.
• Iran opens major power projects in energy-rich Khuzestan Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- The Iranian government has opened a series of major electricity projects in the energy-rich province of Khuzestan in its southwest amid plans to boost business activity in the region.
• US claims Iran can use funds frozen by S Korea for humanitarian purposes Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- A spokesman for the United States National Security Council has reportedly claimed that Iran can use $7 billion worth of its blocked funds in South Korea to buy humanitarian items.
• Journey To 'Judas': How Lethal Unrest Left Nazarbaev's Trusted Enforcer Dancing Alone RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Among the more left-field revelations to emerge from the massive leak of U.S. diplomatic cables known as WikiLeaks was an account of how the now-jailed powerbroker Karim Masimov was spotted dancing "alone and animatedly" at a trendy nightclub in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.
• Fugitive Police General Kudebaev Apprehended In Turkey, Returned To Kazakhstan RFE/RL 27 Apr 2023 -- Kazakhstan's prosecutor-general says the former chief of police of the southern region of Almaty, General Serik Kudebaev, who fled the country to evade trial for abuse of office in a case related to the deadly mass unrest that rocked the country in January 2022, has been apprehended.
• Belarus: Statement by the Spokesperson on the health of political prisoner Viktar Babaryka European External Action Service (EEAS) 27 Apr 2023 -- The EU is concerned by the health situation of detained former potential presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, who was hospitalised reportedly with traces of beatings. We urge the authorities to ensure his safety and provide him with immediate and proper medical evaluation and assistance, and to allow him access to his lawyers and family.
• Transcript of Special Briefing by Foreign Secretary on Operation Kaveri (April 27, 2023) India MEA 27 Apr 2023
• Ambassador: Pakistan Importing Russian Oil With US Approval VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Pakistan said Thursday that it was buying discounted Russian crude oil with the implicit approval of the United States, and the first shipment is expected to arrive in the country soon.
• Turkey inaugurates its first nuclear power plant Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- Turkey has inaugurated its first ever nuclear power plant, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his help in constructing the reactors in the Anatolian country.
• Atoms for Ankara: Akkuyu NPP Brings Turkiye Into Nuclear Club Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- President Putin joined his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in a ceremony inaugurating the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant featuring the loading of fuel into the plant's first reactor. From the perspective of efficiency and energy security, Akkuyu will prove invaluable to Ankara, say energy experts Oleg Muratov and Alexei Anpilogov.
• Putin Calls Akkuyu NPP Key Russia-Turkiye Project Sputnik 27 Apr 2023 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Turkiye's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project is a key project which allows for the development of economic and neighborly ties between the countries.
• Can Turkey's Elections Bring Reset to Troubled Relations With US? VOA 27 Apr 2023 -- Political analysts say with both Turkey's ruling and opposition parties pledging to improve ties with the United States ahead of next month's national elections, there are hopeful signs for the bilateral relationship following years of tension.
• Joint declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of 8 Nordic-Baltic countries and the Republic of Moldova Estonia MFA 27 Apr 2023
• Foreign Minister Tsahkna: our priority is Moldova's stability and European integration Estonia MFA 27 Apr 2023 -- "Today 27 April, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was in Chișinău for a joint visit with his Nordic and Baltic colleagues (NB8) to express support to Moldova. The foreign ministers had meetings with Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, President Maia Sandu and Speaker of the Parliament Igor Grosu."
• Foreign Minister Huitfeldt in Moldova Government of Norway 27 Apr 2023 -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt is taking part today in the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) Foreign Ministers' meeting in the Moldovan capital Chişinău.
• Lithuania's Foreign Minister Landsbergis: "We support Moldova in these difficult times" Lithuania MFA 27 Apr 2023 -- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis is visiting Moldova with other Foreign Ministers of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8). After meeting with Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, the head of Lithuania's diplomacy said he believed in the country's European future and strongly supported Moldova's European integration aspirations.
• Iran wants nothing but good for Lebanon, backs any internal agreement over new president: FM Press TV 27 Apr 2023 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic strongly supports any agreement between the political parties in Lebanon on electing a new president.