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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Senior Officials Hold a Background Briefing DoD 25 Apr 2024
• U.S. Begins Construction on Temporary Pier to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Gaza DoD News 25 Apr 2024 -- U.S. military personnel have begun construction of a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver critical humanitarian assistance, senior defense and Biden administration officials said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing DoD 25 Apr 2024
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Netherlands Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren DoD 25 Apr 2024
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Swedish Minister of Defense Pål Jonson DoD 25 Apr 2024
• 5-4 ADA Conducts Saber Strike 2024 Fire Support Coordination Exercise Army News 25 Apr 2024 -- Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, conducted live-fire exercises with NATO allies as part of Saber Strike 2024.
• Keel Authenticated for Future USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. US Navy 25 Apr 2024 -- The keel for the future USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8), a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base, was laid at GD NASSCO shipyard April 25.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Romanian Minister of National Defence Angel Tîlvăr DoD 25 Apr 2024
• Joint Statement of the 14th Defense Trilateral Talks DoD 25 Apr 2024 -- Republic of Korea (ROK) Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Cho Chang-rae, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner, and Japan Director General for Defense Policy Kano Koji convened the 14th Defense Trilateral Talks virtually on April 24, 2024.
• DoD Releases the Calendar Year 2022 Annual Report on Civilian Casualties in Connection With U.S. Military Operations DoD 25 Apr 2024 -- Today, the Department of Defense released the Calendar Year 2022 Annual Report on Civilian Casualties in Connection with United States Military Operations.
• Officials Say Manufacturing Arms at Scale a Deterrent to Adversaries DoD News 25 Apr 2024 -- Keeping the armament production lines moving at speed and scale at the right price sends a strong signal to allies that the U.S. is a reliable partner. It also sends a message of deterrence to adversaries, Defense Department officials said.
• Transatlantic Castle 24-1 hones US Army Reserve engineer skills Army News 25 Apr 2024 -- Soldiers of the the U.S. Army Reserve are at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) near Hohenfels, Germany, for Transatlantic Castle (TAC) 24-1. Despite challenges imposed by Bavaria's erratic spring weather, Soldiers of the 983rd Engineering Battalion, the 333rd Engineer Construction Company (ECC), and 475th Engineer Vertical Construction Company (EVCC), pressed forward with their work building wood frame and concrete structures, constructing airfield surfaces, and conducting hauling and excavation operations from April 5 - 26.
• Secretary General takes to the skies to thank Germany for its contributions to NATO NATO 25 Apr 2024 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg took to the skies in a German Eurofighter on Thursday (25 April 2024) as part of his visit to the 73 Tactical Air Wing at Laage Air Base in Germany.
• Lukashenka Says Dozens Of Russian Nukes Deployed in Belarus RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that "several dozen Russian nuclear weapons" were deployed in Belarus, a move that has raised concerns in the West that Moscow's war against Ukraine could spread.
• Russia: Poland's talks on hosting US nuclear weapons 'dangerous' Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Russia says upcoming talks in Poland to possibly host US nuclear weapons in the country pose a real threat to the nation.
• Russia's S-400 and S-500 vs US-Made Patriot and THAAD: Baseline Comparison Sputnik 25 Apr 2024 -- Recent military reports by the Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) clearly affirm that the country is steadily crumbling Ukrainian defenses along the front lines of the special op. This fact is due in large part to Russian troops receiving advanced and upgraded weaponry.
• U.S.-led Ukraine Coalition to Meet Amid Renewed Momentum DoD News 25 Apr 2024 -- The U.S.-led coalition of allies that have joined together in backing Ukraine's defense against Russia's ongoing invasion will mark the two-year anniversary as nearly 50 countries convene this week.
• National Armaments Directors Maintain Urgency in Support for Ukraine DoD News 25 Apr 2024 -- Ahead of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group's second anniversary, National Armaments Directors from UDCG member nations, the European Union and NATO gathered for the 11th time last week in Brussels.
• US secretly shipped long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in recent weeks for use against Russia: Official Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- The United States has shipped long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in recent weeks for use against Russia, an American official says, as President Joe Biden signed into law legislation that authorizes more than $60 billion in war assistance to the ex-Soviet republic.
• Poland and Lithuania May Help Press Gang Ukrainians Into Kiev Regime's Military Sputnik 25 Apr 2024 -- Two Eastern European countries appear poised to help Kiev round up military-age Ukrainians who fled abroad and have them press-ganged into the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, if recent statements by their respective defense ministers are any indication.
• Xi stresses building world-class military medical universities People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for building world-class military medical universities, stressing that they should serve the battlefield and troops, and embrace the future.
• Biden signs US$95 billion aid bill that includes funding for Taiwan defense CNA 25 Apr 2024 -- United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law an aid package that will provide US$95 billion in funding for military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, foreign media reported.
• China concerned about Japan's plan to join AUKUS, firmly opposes relevant countries cobbling together exclusive groupings: defense ministry Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China is concerned about Japan's plan to join AUKUS and firmly opposes relevant countries cobbling together exclusive groupings, building bilateral or multilateral military alliances targeting China, creating division and confrontation and stoking bloc confrontation, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on Thursday.
• Japanese firm says its part found on North Korean missile is fake: report Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- A suspected Japanese-made component found in a North Korean missile fired by Russia forces towards Ukraine is likely fake, Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily reported on Thursday.
• Türkiye calls for greater defense cooperation with Germany People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called for greater cooperation between Türkiye and Germany in the defense industry.
• Europe speech. Élysée - President of France 25 Apr 2024 -- "Firstly, we are not armed to face the risk that is ahead of us. Despite everything that we have done and that I have just cited, we still have a crucial test of pace and model ahead of us. We have begun to awaken. France, for its part, has doubled its defence budget. We are in the process of doing so, with our second Military Programming Act. But at continental level, this wake-up is too slow and too weak in light of the widespread rearmament of the world and its acceleration."
• 'Europe could die': France's Macron calls on EU members to enhance defenses Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has sounded the alarm for Europe, warning that if it remained dependent on the United States and failed to put advanced defenses in place, European nations could die.
• Commander of special unit of Zionist army resigns IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- The commander of Special Infantry Unit of the Zionist Army, also known as "Refaim or Ghost Unit" currently deputed in Gaza has suddenly tendered his resignation, Israeli sources reported on Wednesday night.
• Minister for Defence Procurement speech at Strategic Command Conference UK MOD 25 Apr 2024 -- Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, delivered a speech on procurement reforms at the UK Strategic Command Annual Conference in London.
• International cooperation to protect Baltic Sea continues without Russia Finnish Government 25 Apr 2024 -- At the Ministerial Meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission in Riga, Latvia on 25 April, the Parties to HELCOM, Russia excluded, sent a strong message on how important it is to continue the cooperation on the Baltic Sea.
• Government issues decrees on NATO SOFA and Paris Protocol Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland 25 Apr 2024 -- On 25 April 2024, the government plenary session issued decrees on the Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces (NATO SOFA) and on the Protocol on the Status of International Military Headquarters set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty (Paris Protocol). The NATO SOFA regulates the legal status of forces of NATO Member States while in the territory of another NATO Member State in connexion with their official duties. The Paris Protocol extends, with certain adaptations, the provisions of NATO SOFA to NATO Allied Headquarters and their military and civilian personnel.
• The President: The German brigade in Lithuania will enhance security across the region President of the Republic of Lithuania 25 Apr 2024 -- On Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with the leadership of the German brigade's initial command element and visited the brigade's headquarters in Vilnius.
• Welcome address by the Chief of the National Guard General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Tsitsikostas Press and Information Office, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Cyprus 25 Apr 2024
• Announcement by the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry regarding brokering in arms and military equipment - Implementation of "Common Position 2003/468/CFSP of the Council of the European Union" Press and Information Office, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Cyprus 25 Apr 2024 -- The Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry announces that Regulations 112/2024 on exports, brokering and technical assistance of military equipment have entered into force, which amend Regulations 2 and 4 of Regulations 522/2011 and were issued on the basis of article 2.1 of "Common Position 2003/468/CFSP of the Council of the European Union of 23 June 2003 on the control of arms brokering", pursuant to Article 21 of Law 1(I)/2011.
• Joint Statement on U.S.-Moldova Strategic Dialogue US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2024 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Moldova.
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby En Route Syracuse, New York The White House 25 Apr 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 25, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 25 April 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Apr 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• April 24: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 25 Apr 2024
• Gaza hospital officials say Israeli strike kills 5 in Rafah VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- Israel's military said Thursday its forces carried out airstrikes on more than 30 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past day, while Gaza hospital officials said an Israeli strike killed at least five people in the southern city of Rafah.
• Over 2,000 Israeli forces killed, injured in 1,650 operations by Hezbollah since Gaza war began Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement says it has killed and injured more than 2,000 Israeli forces in its 1,650 operations on the occupied territories since the start of the regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
• Zionist regime conducts drone attacks in Rafah IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Israeli drones targeted a group of Palestinians in the "Al-Hashashin" area, northwest of Rafah, and martyred some people, according to local sources.
• UN agency official says northern Gaza still 'heading toward famine' VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- A senior World Food Program official warned Thursday that northern Gaza is still at risk of famine, despite some improvement in the volume of aid getting into the besieged territory.
• UNRWA Preliminary Response - Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, 20 April 2024 UNRWA 25 Apr 2024 -- On 5 February 2024, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in consultation with the UNRWA Commissioner-General, appointed an Independent Review Group to identify and assess the mechanisms and procedures that the Agency currently has in place to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of breaches thereof.
• Gaza: Heatwave brings new misery and disease risk to Rafah UN News 25 Apr 2024 -- Unexpected blistering temperatures across Gaza have added to the daily misery faced by the enclave's people and sparked new fears of disease outbreaks amid a lack of sufficient clean water and waste disposal, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.
• Recovery in Gaza 'is not only physical', UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator says UN News 25 Apr 2024 -- The international community has a duty and responsibility to work towards early recovery in Gaza, but "we cannot ask citizens to wait", the UN official tasked with coordinating aid delivery into the besieged enclave has said.
• Gaza Strip getting closer to famine as people starving to death, UN warns Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- The besieged Gaza Strip is getting closer by the day to famine as some inhabitants of the war-torn Palestinian territory are actually starving to death, the United Nations warns.
• UN expert calls for arms, oil embargo against Israel Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese has called on the international community to immediately impose oil sanctions and an arms embargo against Israel.
• Israel-Gaza war protests spread to more universities across US VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- What began last week at Columbia University, where students refused to end their protests against Israel's war in Gaza despite pushback from the New York school and arrests by police, has spread across the country. Students at various college campuses are staging similar demonstrations that are also being met with police response.
• Iran calls on BRICS to help stop Zionist crimes in Gaza IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri has underscored the need for BRICS member states to make efforts to help put an end to the Zionist brutalities in the Gaza Strip.
• Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom Calling for the Release of the Hostages Held in Gaza The White House 25 Apr 2024
• Biden, 17 world leaders demand Hamas release hostages VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders of 17 other countries with citizens believed or known to be held by Hamas are demanding the militant group accept a proposed cease-fire deal with Israel and release the hostages immediately.
• Palestinian civilians in Gaza are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis: UK statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 25 Apr 2024 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.
• Hezbollah responds to Zionist attacks on south Lebanon IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement has released a video of its recent retaliatory rocket attacks on the positions of the Zionist regime in northern occupied Palestine.
• Houthi: US complicit in all Israeli crimes against Palestinians in Gaza Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement has held the US accountable for aiding and abetting the Zionist regime in the atrocities against Gaza, saying Washington is managing the crimes ranging from siege and starvation to killing and destruction.
• Yemeni forces strike Israeli ship, Port of Eilat in solidarity with Gaza Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Yemen's Armed Forces have successfully targeted an Israeli vessel in the Gulf of Aden as well as the Port of Eilat in the southern part of the occupied territories in fresh pro-Palestinian operations.

Other Conflicts

• Syria crisis intensifies in shadow of Gaza war UN News 25 Apr 2024 -- The war in Gaza continues to cast a dark shadow over the wider Middle East region, in particular Syria where a series of strikes and attacks are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Thursday.
• New, Comprehensive Approach Key to Address Syria's Political, Humanitarian Challenges, UN Special Envoy Tells Security Council, Citing Dangerous Spiral of Recent Events UN Security Council 25 Apr 2024 -- Millions in Need of Life-Saving Aid at Risk Due to Underfunded Humanitarian Response, Senior Relief Official Warns, as Delegates Urge Full Delivery Access
• A record 16.7 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance: UK statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 25 Apr 2024 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.
• Video shows rebel group sentencing own fighters to death for 'abuse of power' Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- The video opens with an overhead shot of 10 individuals wearing blue jumpsuits on a stage adorned with banners in Chinese and large loudspeakers before slowly pulling back to reveal hundreds of spectators - several of them clutching brightly colored umbrellas to keep the sun off their faces.
• Junta recruits another 300 Rohingya in new round of conscription Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- More than 300 Rohingya men from villages near Rakhine state's capital have been forced by junta troops to attend mandatory training for Myanmar's military over the last few days, residents told Radio Free Asia on Thursday.
• Myanmar insurgents capture junta base in south Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- Insurgents have captured another base from Myanmar's junta forces, this time in the far south of the country, in the latest in a string of setbacks for the military that overthrew an elected government in 2021, officials from anti-junta forces told Radio Free Asia on Thursday.
• Bangladesh, Myanmar exchange prisoners amidst Rakhine strife VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- Bangladesh and Myanmar exchanged hundreds of their citizens from custody over two days this week, following a deal reached between the two countries. Bangladesh repatriated 288 members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police and other security agencies on Thursday, after Myanmar on Wednesday released 173 Bangladeshi nationals, mostly fishermen.
• UN threatens to reduce humanitarian assistance to South Sudan VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- South Sudanese farmers who have relied on United Nations agencies operating in that country now say they are afraid of losing a ready market for their produce should the U.N. follow through on its threat to scale down operations in the world's youngest nation. This comes after the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom expressed concerns about Juba's decision to impose taxes on some commodities purchased by the U.N.
• Sudan: Scourge of sexual violence amid ongoing conflict demands urgent response UNOCHA 25 Apr 2024 -- Joint Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya
• Senior UN aid official urges comprehensive response to Haiti crisis UN News 25 Apr 2024 -- The ongoing crisis in Haiti is having a "massive" and "devastating" impact, with over half the population acutely food insecure and more than one million staring at emergency levels of hunger, a senior UN World Food Programme (WFP) official said on Thursday.
• Tibetans from Europe find China's visa-free policy not so free Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- Four ethnic Tibetan travelers with EU passports say they were questioned for hours upon arrival in China - and two were ultimately deported - despite Beijing's visa-free policy for citizens of several European countries for visits of up to 15 days.

News Reports

• Supreme Court considers Trump's claim of criminal immunity VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday appeared skeptical of former President Donald Trump's claim that he enjoys absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts he took while in office, but several justices expressed doubts about the details of charges brought against him in a pending federal trial.
• Remarks by Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson at Banking Roundtable in San Juan, Puerto Rico US Treasury 25 Apr 2024
• Security Council ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends One Entry on Its Sanctions List UN Security Council 25 Apr 2024 -- On 25 April 2024, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities enacted the amendments specified with strikethrough and/or underline in the entry below on its ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021), and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 25, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Apr 2024
• Russia says weighs downgrading ties with US if assets are seized Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Russia has announced that it is contemplating downgrading its diplomatic and trade ties with the United States if its assets are confiscated by the US government.
• MEPs Vote On Resolution Demanding Release Of Kurmasheva, Gershkovich, Others Held In Russia RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- European lawmakers have approved a resolution that calls for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all political prisoners held in Russia, including journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 25, 2024 PRC MofA 25 Apr 2024
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And People's Republic of China Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2024
• China skips red-carpet welcome for Blinken, whose visit prompts cynicism VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival in China on Wednesday has been met with skepticism, cynicism and suggestions that the absence of a red carpet for the top U.S. diplomat's arrival was a not-so-subtle message from Beijing.
• Blinken in Beijing for talks with top Chinese officials VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to provide a level playing field for American workers and businesses Thursday as he prepared for meetings with top Chinese officials.
• Blinken begins China trip with light friction Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- In his first day of meetings with Chinese officials in Shanghai on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued to press the Biden administration's concerns about trade policies it says are harming the development of competing American businesses.
• Shanghai Party chief meets Blinken Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, before landing in Beijing on Thursday, met with local officials in Shanghai, where he acknowledged the obligation to manage the China-US relationship responsibly.
• Chinese Embassy condemns UK politician's anti-China remarks Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China strongly condemned unwarranted accusations and malicious slander against China, and urged British politicians to stop their belligerent rhetoric, and instead, focus more on domestic economic and social issues, a spokesperson from Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday, in response to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's latest anti-China remarks.
• Chinese embassy condemns Sunak's unwarranted accusation, malicious slander Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China urges some British politicians to end their belligerent rhetoric, cease wanton accusations against China, stop stoking bloc confrontation, and instead, focus more on domestic economic and social issues, and act in a way that is truly in the interests of world peace and justice, the Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday night, in response to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's listing of China as an authoritarian state and criticizing the China-Russia relationship.
• China firmly opposes groundless 'overcapacity' hype by some Western countries: MOFCOM Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China firmly opposes the groundless "overcapacity" hype by some Western countries and urges relevant countries to objectively and comprehensively look at global demand for new energy and China's new-energy development, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday.
• Whistleblowing Uyghur surgeon speaks truth to horror Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- When an armed police officer directed Uyghur surgeon Enver Tohti to remove organs from a not-quite-dead prisoner on an execution ground outside Urumqi, his first reaction was overwhelming relief: "I thought they were going to execute me," he recalled.
• No more facial scans needed at check-in, China tells hotels Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- Authorities across China are telling hotels and guesthouses to stop subjecting guests - domestic and foreign - to facial recognition scans at check-in, state media reported on Thursday.
• Chinese National Arrested in United States for Alleged Scheme to Illegally Export Semiconductor Manufacturing Machine US Dept. of Justice 25 Apr 2024 -- An indictment was unsealed today charging two Chinese nationals, Han Li, also known as Anson Li, 44, and Lin Chen, 64, with crimes related to a conspiracy to illegally export U.S. technology, including a machine manufactured by a California-based company that is used to process silicon wafer microchips, to prohibited end users in China, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Chen was arrested in Chicago yesterday.
• China hopes Hungary will promote a rational and friendly view of China's development within the EU: Wang Yi Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China appreciates Hungary's commitment to being a force for peace and stability in Europe amid the complex international situation. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also commended Hungary for steadfastly deepening cooperation with China despite interference and pressure during a meeting with visiting Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Beijing on Wednesday.
• EU's raid on Chinese company violates fair competition, undermines business confidence: MOFCOM Global Times 25 Apr 2024 -- China's commerce ministry expressed strong opposition on Wednesday to the EU's raid on a Chinese firm, which is part of the bloc's fifth subsidy investigation targeting Chinese businesses since February.
• FM spokesperson refutes western accusation of "overcapacity" People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- Some Western countries have lately been accusing China of "overcapacity," which is baseless hype and China firmly rejects it, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
• Lai urges China to engage with Taiwan's 'democratically elected' government CNA 25 Apr 2024 -- President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday called on the Chinese authorities to engage with Taiwan's "democratically elected and legitimate government" to promote peace across the Taiwan Strait.
• President-elect Lai names incoming national security team (update) CNA 25 Apr 2024 -- National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) will head Taiwan's defense ministry, and current Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) will replace him at the NSC, when the new administration takes office on May 20, the incoming president announced Thursday.
• New MAC head signals Lai's wish for stable cross-strait ties: Analysts CNA 25 Apr 2024 -- The appointment of Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) as head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) sends a message to Beijing that Taiwan's new administration wants to adopt a steady and cautious approach to cross-strait relations, analysts said on Thursday.
• Newly-appointed Taiwan's top China affairs chief touted as 'pragmatic' CNA 25 Apr 2024 -- President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday touted Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), his newly-appointed top China affairs chief, as a "rational" and "pragmatic" figure who is capable of advancing work related to cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
• Chinese mainland spokesperson slams so-called anti-infiltration act as DPP political tool People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday denounced Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for using the so-called anti-infiltration act as a political tool to suppress dissidents, create "green terror" and seek its own partisan interests.
• Learning history of Chinese nation is Taiwan compatriots' right: mainland spokesperson People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday stressed that it is the rights of Taiwan compatriots to receive education on Chinese culture and learn about the history of the Chinese nation.
• Mainland to expand use of travel permits for Taiwan residents People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- The Chinese mainland will further facilitate the use of mainland travel permits for Taiwan residents, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson said Wednesday.
• Chinese fighter jets could reach Taiwan Presidential Office in minutes: expert Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- A Taiwanese military expert has warned that Chinese military aircraft are now flying closer to Taipei on a regular basis and could reach the Presidential Office within minutes.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Apr. 25, 2024 ROC MND 25 Apr 2024
• North Korean official says Pyongyang will stand up to sanctions, bolster military power Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- A North Korean foreign ministry official says Pyongyang will strengthen its military power despite facing sanctions pressure.
• US calls for China to help monitor sanctions on North Korea VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- The United States is calling on China to do more to monitor North Korean sanctions violations as a U.N. panel charged with that task is set to expire this month.
• Press Statement by Vice-Minister for U.S. Affairs of DPRK Foreign Ministry KCNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Kim Un Chol, vice-minister for U.S. affairs of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), issued the following press statement on April 25:
• What Is Washington's Scheme to Extend Sphere of Alliance Aimed at KCNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Kang Jin Song, an international affairs analyst of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, issued the following article titled "What is Washington's scheme to extend the sphere of alliance aimed at":
• U.S. Targets Iranian Drone Industry In New Sanctions Announcement RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- The U.S. Treasury Department has issued further sanctions targeting companies that manufacture, sell, and ship Iranian drones as part of an effort to curb their use by Russia in its full-scale war in Ukraine.
• Designating Facilitators and Financiers of Iran's Illicit UAV Transfers US Dept. of State 25 Apr 2024 -- The United States is today imposing sanctions on 16 entities and eight individuals, as well as identifying as blocked property five vessels and one aircraft, that have facilitated illicit trade and the sale of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in support of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the regime's UAV development and procurement.
• Treasury Targets Networks Facilitating Illicit Trade and UAV Transfers on Behalf of Iranian Military US Treasury 25 Apr 2024 -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning over one dozen entities, individuals, and vessels that have played a central role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which itself is involved in supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Russia's war in Ukraine.
• UK targets Iran's ability to launch drones through new round of sanctions UK FCDO 25 Apr 2024 -- The UK, US and Canada have announced coordinated sanctions on Iran following the regime's attack on Israel on 13 April 2024.
• Canada imposes further sanctions against Iran Canada 25 Apr 2024 -- Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against Iran under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.
• Backgrounder: Canada imposes further sanctions against Iran Canada 25 Apr 2024 -- Effective immediately, Canada is imposing sanctions against Iran by listing two individuals and two entities that are part of Islamic Republic of Iran in response to Iran's continued grave breaches of international peace and security, which result in serious international crises.
• Iranian police drone strike kills 2 terrorists in Sistan and Baluchestan Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Iranian security forces have managed to kill two terrorists in the country's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan near the border with Pakistan.
• 6 border guards held by Taliban released IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Six border guards who had been arrested by Taliban near the southeastern borders were released by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• US renews Iran rhetoric after IAEA chief's claims IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- The deputy spokesperson of the US State Department says Washington is doing everything it can to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
• US keeps adopting miscalculated stance toward Iran: Foreign Ministry IRNA 25 Apr 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry says the United States remains keeps adopting a miscalculated stance toward the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people more than four decades after it failed in its aggression against Iranian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Iran rejects U.S. "baseless" cyber-attack charges against Iranian individuals, firms People's Daily 25 Apr 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Wednesday rejected the U.S. government's "baseless" claims accusing several Iranian individuals and firms of having been involved in cyber-attacks on American companies.
• In any war of wills, Iran will give crushing response to aggression: Army chief Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Iran's Army Chief Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi says in any "war of wills" the Islamic Republic will respond to any act of aggression in a more crushing style than ever before.
• Iran, Russia sign MoU to strengthen security cooperation Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- Iran and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop bilateral relations in the security sector.
• Iranian Activists Slam Government For Stepped Up Hijab Enforcement RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- Iranian civil political activists, including several who are currently imprisoned, have condemned the government's "military" aggression toward women through its renewed enforcement of the mandatory hijab, according to a document made available to RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
• Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (April 25, 2024) India MEA 25 Apr 2024
• India's home minister vows to end Muslim reservation if his party wins Press TV 25 Apr 2024 -- India's home minister has said that if his incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is voted to power, it will end the reservation of Muslims, the largest minority of the country.
• Britain Open To Deeper Partnership With Kazakhstan, Cameron Tells RFE/RL RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told RFE/RL that his country is open to building a deeper partnership with Kazakhstan.
• PM call with Prime Minister Meloni of Italy: 25 April 2024 Gov.UK 25 Apr 2024 -- China will carry out three Chang'e lunar probe missions within next four years and the basic form of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS,) the international moon base project currently led by the China National Space Administration and Russia's ROSCOSMOS, is expected to be completed before 2035, Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration project, revealed during a speech at the ongoing China Space Conference in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province.
• Report: Southeast Asian parliamentarians face threats of reprisals, harassment Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- Lawmakers in Southeast Asia face threats of reprisals, harassment and other human rights violations, according to a new study that highlights the Burmese junta's crackdown against opposition MPs and the years-long detention of a senator in the Philippines.
• Vietnam soft drinks boss jailed for 8 years Radio Free Asia 25 Apr 2024 -- Vietnam's "blazing furnace" crackdown on corruption has netted more offenders with the chairman of its top soft drinks company handed an eight-year sentence for fraud on Thursday, state media reported.
• As Georgia Bids To Become A Tax Haven, Critics Worry It's All To Protect Oligarch Ivanishvili RFE/RL 25 Apr 2024 -- The Georgian capital has been rocked by weeks of protests, sparked by a controversial "foreign agents" bill that critics say mirrors Russian law and could deal a firm blow to the Caucasus country's chances of joining the European Union and NATO.
• World News in Brief: 'Barbaric' sexual violence in Sudan, Haiti's transitional council in place, rights experts condemn Iran rapper's death sentence UN News 25 Apr 2024 -- The international community must take immediate action to end the wave of sexual violence being carried out against women and girls in Sudan, two senior UN officials said on Thursday.
• Thailand's most radical party braces for ban, eyes 'reincarnation' VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- Thailand's most popular political party, Move Forward, is facing the familiar threat of dissolution by court order, but senior members say plans are already in place for a swift comeback if they are disbanded, refusing to let their reform movement die.
• Heavy rain, flooding in East Africa lead to at least 155 deaths VOA 25 Apr 2024 -- Torrential rain and flooding in Tanzania have caused 155 deaths and 236 injuries while affecting more than 200,000 others, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament on Thursday.