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Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Freedom of Navigation Report DoD 08 May 2024 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its annual Freedom of Navigation (FON) Report for Fiscal Year 2023. During the period from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, U.S. forces operationally challenged 29 different excessive maritime claims advanced by 17 different claimants throughout the world.
• DOD Workforce, Industry Partnerships Key to Harnessing Innovation DoD News 08 May 2024 -- The Defense Department's workforce and its partnerships with private industry remain at the core of the military's ability to harness innovation and defend against emerging threats, the Pentagon's top cyber official said today.
• Austin: FY 2025 Budget Includes 'Tough, But Responsible' Decisions DoD News 08 May 2024 -- The Defense Department's top official told Congress today that DOD's fiscal year 2025 budget request, about $849.8 billion in all, includes tradeoffs between capability in the future and readiness.
• Brown: Joint Force Must Maintain Current Edge, Prepare for Emerging Threats DoD News 08 May 2024 -- The Defense Department's success in an evolving security landscape is defined by the joint force's ability to address current threats while at the same time preparing for the future, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., said yesterday.
• Georgia Army Guard Joins DEFENDER 24 Exercise in Sweden Army News 08 May 2024 -- This year's DEFENDER 24 exercise emphasizes the significant partnership between the United States and Sweden, NATO's newest member, with the Georgia Army National Guard putting boots on the ground in Skillingaryd. The exercise highlights the importance of interoperability and shared defense capabilities.
• DEFENDER 24: APS-2 hospital set activated, issued in an Army medicine history first Army News 08 May 2024 -- For the first time in Army medicine history, an Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 hospital equipment set was activated and issued, and for the first time in APS-2 history, an Equipment Configuration and Hand-off Area was established at Dülmen to support this mission.
• 350th SWW reactivates two historic EW squadrons US Air Force 08 May 2024 -- To meet the Air Force's growing demand for spectrum effects, the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing recently reactivated two historic squadrons, the 563rd Electronic Warfare Squadron, in San Antonio, Texas, and the 388th Electronic Warfare Squadron, at Eglin Air Force Base.
• 7th Fleet Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait US Navy 08 May 2024 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.
• U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet conduct containerized missile launcher rehearsals on Bornholm Island, Denmark US Navy 08 May 2024 -- U.S. Naval Forces Europe, in coordination with the Danish military, conducted convoy protection rehearsals with a modular and containerized missile launcher, May 3-5, 2024.
• Secretary General visits Italy, welcomes contributions to NATO and support for Ukraine NATO 08 May 2024 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday (8 May 2024) to discuss preparations for the Washington Summit, including work to further strengthen NATO, achieve fairer burden-sharing, and provide more support to Ukraine.
• Russia Will Target French Forces if They Enter Ukraine Sputnik 08 May 2024 -- French troops will become targets for the Russian armed forces if they appear in the special military operation zone, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
• Russia loses 899 soldiers a day in complete disregard for the lives of its own soldiers: UK statement to the OSCE UK FCDO 08 May 2024 -- UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia's human wave attacks are a grotesque approach that demonstrates the depths to which Putin will go to prop up Russian elite.
• Ukrainian Parliament Passes Bill To Allow Some Prisoners To Serve In Military RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- The Ukrainian parliament has approved a bill that would allow some categories of prisoners to serve in the country's armed forces as it defends itself against a full-scale Russian invasion.
• China's 3rd aircraft carrier completes maiden sea trials, 'to greatly empower PLA Navy' Global Times 08 May 2024 -- China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, on Wednesday returned to port after successfully wrapping up its eight-day maiden voyage, marking a concrete step toward the commissioning of the world-class electromagnetic catapult-equipped strategic platform, which will greatly empower the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to better safeguard peace and stability when faced with maritime and aerial security threats, experts said.
• Air and Space Power Conference soars to new heights Australia DOD 08 May 2024 -- National and international leaders and experts from military, academia and aerospace industry will meet in Canberra today for the biennial 2024 Air and Space Power Conference (ASPCon24).
• Investment in NT strengthens national security and boosts jobs Australia DOD 08 May 2024 -- The Albanese Government is investing tens of billions of dollars to enhance defence infrastructure and capabilities in the Northern Territory, making Australians safer while supporting thousands of local jobs.
• Indian Coast Guard inks MoU with private sector for indigenous marine grade steel to enhance indigenous content in shipbuilding India PIB 08 May 2024 -- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), on May 07, 2024, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi for the supply of indigenous marine grade steel to enhance the indigenous content in shipbuilding
• India state-owned company shipped munitions to Israel amid Gaza war: Report Press TV 08 May 2024 -- In another revelation, an Indian state-owned defense company has been accused of sending ammunition and explosives to Israel, a report says, making New Delhi actively complicit in Tel Aviv's genocidal actions against Palestinians.
• Chief of the Defence Staff Ash Carter Exchange Speech UK MOD 08 May 2024 -- The Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, gave a speech at the Ash Carter Exchange in Washington DC.
• A look at the Defence news 29 April - 5 May Netherlands Ministry of Defence 08 May 2024
• Armenia Stops Financial Contributions To Russian-Led Military Alliance RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- Armenia said on May 8 that it has stopped making financial contributions to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) after effectively suspending its membership in the Russian-led military alliance.
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Milwaukee, WI The White House 08 May 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 8, 2024
• Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Money Laundering and Unlawful Export of Military Data US Dept. of Justice 08 May 2024 -- Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, pleaded guilty to 25 felony counts in Florida federal court, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, seven counts of money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), four counts of violating the ECRA, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act.

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Israel reopens Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza; UN says no new aid has arrived VOA 08 May 2024 -- The Israeli military said Wednesday it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, but the United Nations said no humanitarian aid had yet entered the Palestinian territory as no one was present to receive it after workers left the area because of Israeli attacks near there.
• May 7: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 08 May 2024
• Israel keeps bombing Rafah as truce talks resume in Cairo Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Israel has bombarded the overcrowded southern city of Rafah in Gaza, where it has launched a ground incursion, as a new round of talks on ceasefire and prisoner swap kicks off in Cairo.
• At least 35 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah as vital aid corridors cut off Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Nearly three dozen Palestinian civilians, including women and children, have been killed as Israeli military forces bombed various neighborhoods in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
• Israel alleges killing 'Hamas' naval commander' Press TV 08 May 2024 -- The Israeli regime's military has alleged killing the commander of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas' naval unit in Gaza City amid the regime's now-seven-month-old genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
• No aid getting into Gaza, says UN aid agency UN News 08 May 2024 -- Israeli military manoeuvres and shelling continued in and around eastern Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday morning as UN humanitarians stressed that "no fuel or aid" is getting into the enclave.
• Israeli forces bringing war to the West Bank, warns UN rights office UN News 08 May 2024 -- As war rages in Gaza, violations against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank have also increased substantially, a senior official with the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday.
• Humanitarians: Safe evacuation of Rafah impossible VOA 08 May 2024 -- Humanitarians and medical professionals working in the Gaza Strip warned Wednesday that a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah would be a catastrophe and said the safe, mass evacuation of civilians is not possible.
• Fuel running out at Gaza hospitals amid Israeli assault on Rafah: WHO Press TV 08 May 2024 -- The World Health Organization has warned that hospitals in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza urgently need medical supplies and fuel.
• UN official: Gaza war at "another critical juncture" IRNA 08 May 2024 -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has said that the war in the Gaza Strip is at another critical juncture.
• UN chief urges Israel, Hamas to cease fire, show political courage amidst Gaza crisis People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- As tensions continue to escalate in Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday once again called for Israel and Hamas to demonstrate "political courage" and work towards securing a ceasefire.
• US withholds weapons as Israel launches operation in Rafah VOA 08 May 2024 -- For the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Biden administration has paused the shipment of weapons to Israel amid mounting concern over its plan to expand a military operation in Rafah that the United States does not support.
• US Report on Israel's Conduct in Gaza Strip Delayed Indefinitely - Reports Sputnik 08 May 2024 -- The Biden administration's report on whether Israel violated US law and international humanitarian law during its military operations in the Gaza Strip has been delayed indefinitely, Politico reported on Tuesday.
• Everything ready for permanent ceasefire in Gaza: Iran FM IRNA 08 May 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says that a permanent ceasefire in Gaza would be within reach if Western countries led by the US are honest about their promises for ending the Israeli war on the enclave.
• The Federal Council intends to release CHF 10 million for emergency aid in Gaza Federal Council - Swiss Government 08 May 2024 -- At its meeting on 8 May 2024, the Federal Council decided to make a contribution of CHF 10 million to the humanitarian aid appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The CHF 10 million contribution is exclusively earmarked for Gaza and will be used to provide the urgent assistance specified in the UNRWA Flash Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory covering the period April-December 2024. In its overall assessment, the Federal Council drew on the analysis of the Colonna report and coordination with other donors. The Federal Council will submit this decision to the foreign affairs committees of the National Council and Council of States for consultation.
• Bahamas recognizes State of Palestine IRNA 08 May 2024 -- The Foreign Ministry of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has announced formally that it has recognized Palestine as a state.
• Jordan deplores Zionist settlers' attack on Gaza aid convoy IRNA 08 May 2024 -- Jordan's foreign minister denounced Israeli settlers for targeting his country's humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza, calling the attack a crime.
• Netanyahu impedes ceasefire in Gaza war: Hamas IRNA 08 May 2024 -- Benjamin Netanyahu is the individual hindering the process of truce and prisoner exchange agreement amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official and advisor to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has said.
• Israel uses negotiations as cover for Rafah invasion: Hamas Press TV 08 May 2024 -- A senior Hamas official says the Israeli regime is prolonging underway negotiations on a potential truce in Tel Aviv's months-long war on the Gaza Strip so it can carry out a full-scale invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
• Hamas Returns Delegation to Cairo to Continue Ceasefire Talks Sputnik 08 May 2024 -- Hamas's delegation has returned to Cairo to continue discussing ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to reach an agreement that will allow to end the ongoing conflict, the Palestinian movement said on Tuesday.
• Hamas, Israeli negotiators arrive in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- Egypt is hosting delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States in Cairo on Tuesday with the aim of reaching a "comprehensive truce" in the Gaza Strip, state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel reported.
• Hezbollah carries out combined attacks against Zionist targets IRNA 08 May 2024 -- Hezbollah of Lebanon has conducted a series of combined and targeted attacks against Zionist bases, according to local media.
• Hezbollah says it hit Israeli targets in 'multipronged attack' Press TV 08 May 2024 -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it carried out a multipronged attack on targets controlled by the Israeli regime in north of the occupied Palestine.
• Iraqi resistance launches drone attack on south occupied Palestine IRNA 08 May 2024 -- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it has carried out a drone attack on the port of Eilat in the south of the occupied Palestine.
• 'Wider escalation': Yemen warns Israel of more retaliatory attacks if Rafah invaded Press TV 08 May 2024 -- A high ranking official of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement has warned of a broader escalation in its attacks if Israel launches a full-scale invasion of the densely-populated southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Other Conflicts

• Australia, China dispute helicopter incident in Yellow Sea Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- China has defended its recent maneuver against an Australian naval helicopter in the Yellow Sea, deemed by Canberra to be "unsafe and unprofessional," saying it was "legitimate and reasonable."
• Manila's denial of objective facts hurts its own credibility: FM Global Times 08 May 2024 -- The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines released details about the relevant communication between China and the Philippines in terms of managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao. The facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Wednesday, urging the Philippines to honor its commitment, and stop maritime infringement and provocation at once.
• 'One-Party Rule': Taliban Wages Crackdown On Political Parties RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- The Taliban is widening its crackdown on dissent by targeting political parties in Afghanistan.
• Iran Seeks To Tighten Crackdown On Afghan Refugees RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- Iran says it has expelled some 1.3 million foreigners over the past year, highlighting a significant crackdown by the government on unauthorized migrants, primarily Afghan refugees.
• Bomb blast hits Taliban convoy in turbulent Afghan province, kills 3 VOA 08 May 2024 -- A bomb explosion in Afghanistan's volatile northeastern Badakhshan province Wednesday killed at least three Taliban security personnel and wounded six others.
• US urges other countries to repatriate citizens held in Syria VOA 08 May 2024 -- The United States is urging other countries to follow its lead in repatriating their citizens from detention centers and displaced persons camps where former followers and supporters of Islamic State have been held since the collapse of the IS "caliphate" in 2019.
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria The White House 08 May 2024
• Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria The White House 08 May 2024
• Lao police arrest and hand over 17 Myanmar citizens to military junta Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- Lao police handed over 17 Myanmar nationals to junta soldiers at a border checkpoint in the northern Golden Triangle region - the first time Laos has arrested and transferred anti-junta activists, several Myanmar citizens who live in Laos told Radio Free Asia.
• Myanmar's military on the back foot as the dry season comes to a close Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- Myanmar's dry season is ending soon, with the military junta on the back foot after more than six months of reversals and losses to the opposition. This points to an intensification of attacks from the beleaguered regime.
• Myanmar insurgents accused of recruiting Rohingya in Bangladesh camps Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- Myanmar Muslim insurgents have pressed about 500 Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh to join the war in their homeland where fighting between rival factions has intensified sharply in recent weeks, refugees told Radio Free Asia.
• Japan-Russia tensions flare over Ukraine war amid decades-long land disputes VOA 08 May 2024 -- Friction between Japan and Russia will likely escalate amidst the burgeoning Ukraine war, with the decades-long land conflicts showing no sign of thawing.
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Central African Republic The White House 08 May 2024
• Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Central African Republic The White House 08 May 2024

News Reports

• Russia vows retaliation after UK's expulsion of defense attaché Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Moscow has vowed to give an "appropriate response" to Britain's expelling Russia's defense attaché.
• UK to expel undeclared Russian spy in response to growing threat UK FCDO 08 May 2024 -- The move is part of a major package of measures to tighten defences against alleged malign activity by Russia across the UK and Europe.
• No sign yet of H5N1 bird flu spreading between humans, says WHO chief UN News 08 May 2024 -- The H5N1 avian influenza virus has so far shown no signs of adapting to allow human to human transmission, the UN health agency said on Wednesday, urging continued surveillance.
• Congressman: US needs counterterrorism partners in Central Asia VOA 08 May 2024 -- In a rare discussion of Central Asia policy on Capitol Hill, a senior legislator told VOA that the United States needs to look past the abysmal human rights records of the countries in the region to confront terrorism and Russian and Chinese influence.
• Cyber sanction imposed on Russian citizen for ransomware activity Australia DOD 08 May 2024 -- Australia has imposed a targeted financial sanction and travel ban on Russian citizen Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for his senior leadership role in the LockBit ransomware group.
• Cyber sanction imposed on Russian citizen for ransomware activity Australia MFA 08 May 2024 -- Australia has imposed a targeted financial sanction and travel ban on Russian citizen Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for his senior leadership role in the LockBit ransomware group.
• Foreign Ministry summons Russia's chargé d'affaires over GPS signal interference Estonia MFA 08 May 2024 -- Today 8 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia's chargé d'affaires over GPS signal interference.
• Meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council President of Russia 08 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin took part in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.
• Meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan President of Russia 08 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin had a meeting at the Kremlin with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.
• Meeting with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev President of Russia 08 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the Kremlin with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
• Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the ceremony to lay wreaths at the memorial plaques at the Foreign Ministry, Moscow, May 8, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 May 2024
• Press release on Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophone Affairs of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Simeon Oyono Esono Angue Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 May 2024
• China congratulates Putin on his inauguration People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- China congratulates President Putin on his inauguration, and believes Russia will make new achievements in national development and economic and social progress under his leadership, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
• U.S. Soldier Detained In Russia Had Broken Army Rules, Traveled Via China RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- The Pentagon has said that the U.S. Army serviceman who is one of two Americans arrested by Russia in separate cases disclosed on May 7 had violated army rules by traveling to the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, and he had gone there via China.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on May 8, 2024 PRC MofA 08 May 2024
• Full text of Xi's signed article in Hungarian media People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Embarking on a Golden Voyage in China-Hungary Relations" was published Wednesday in the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.
• China's Xi Arrives In Hungary For Orban Meeting, Next Leg Of European Charm Trip RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, fresh off an apparently successful trip to Serbia, on May 8 arrived in Hungary, where he is scheduled to meet later in the night with another authoritarian leader - Prime Minister Viktor Orban - and where he'll likely receive another warm welcome.
• Xi envisages stronger China-Serbia ironclad bond in visit upon anniversary People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off his second state visit to Serbia on Tuesday night with the aim of fortifying the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia amidst evolving global dynamics.
• Serbia, China to Develop Belt and Road Initiative - Joint Statement Sputnik 08 May 2024 -- Serbia and China have vowed to develop cooperation and implement plans under the Belt and Road Initiative, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
• Chinese President Xi given red carpet welcome in Serbian capital VOA 08 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping was given a red carpet welcome when he arrived in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Wednesday for talks with President Aleksandar Vucic.
• US decries Hong Kong court ban on protest song VOA 08 May 2024 -- The United States said on Wednesday that a decision by a Hong Kong court to ban a popular protest song called Glory to Hong Kong is the latest blow to the city's international reputation.
• Court bans protest song over 'insult' to China's national anthem Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- A Hong Kong court has banned "Glory to Hong Kong," a protest song from the 2019 pro-democracy movement that has been frequently mistaken for the city's official anthem, calling it a "weapon" that could be used to bring down the government and an "insult" to China's national anthem.
• Legal experts welcome HK court's decision of banning controversial 'Glory to Hong Kong' Global Times 08 May 2024 -- When asked about the local court's latest ruling on banning controversial song "Glory to Hong Kong," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that taking necessary measures to prevent anyone from using and disseminating songs with the intention of inciting separatism and insulting the national anthem is a legitimate and necessary action.
• INTERVIEW: Lawyer debunks China's historical narrative of control over Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- China's far-western region of Xinjiang — called East Turkestan by Uyghurs — is a essentially a colony that China has occupied for the past 70 years, but before that there has not been any continuous Chinese rule there going back 2,000 years - despite Chinese claims, according to Michael van Walt, an international lawyer who has studied the region extensively.
• New rules let China's state security police check people's devices Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- China's state security police will be given sweeping powers to search electronic devices including smartphones and laptops from July 1, as part of a nationwide campaign to ensure "national security," a broad term often used by the government to include detailed economic data and political dissent.
• Xi arrives in Belgrade for state visit to Serbia People's Daily 08 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday to pay a state visit to Serbia.
• China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe enters circumlunar orbit after near-moon braking Global Times 08 May 2024 -- China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe has successfully entered its circumlunar orbit after performing a near-moon braking procedure on Wednesday, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
• Fujian coast guard conducts routine patrol in waters near Kinmen, 'safeguarding maritime homeland security, fishing interests' Global Times 08 May 2024 -- The Coast Guard of East China's Fujian Province has recently carried out routine law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen, media outlets affiliated to People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced. Facing hype and suspicions from Taiwan island, Chinese mainland experts said on Wednesday the regular operations were aimed at safeguarding the interests of fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, as well as China's maritime homeland security, which should not be over-interpreted.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan May 8, 2024 ROC MND 08 May 2024
• Press Statement of Vice Foreign Minister of DPRK KCNA 08 May 2024 -- Kim Son Gyong, vice-minister for International Organizations of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, released the following press statement on May 8:
• Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Bier of Kim Ki Nam KCNA 08 May 2024 -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the bier of Kim Ki Nam, former secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK who is winner of Order of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il and Labor Hero, at 02:00 of May 8 to express deep condolences over his death.
• Kim Ki Nam Dies KCNA 08 May 2024 -- Kim Ki Nam, former secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, died at the age of 94 at 10:00 of May 7, Juche 113 (2024) while being treated in sickbed for decrepitude and multiple organ dysfunction since April 2022.
• Washington's willingness to engage Pyongyang exposes rare rift with Seoul VOA 08 May 2024 -- The Biden administration's apparent willingness to engage North Korea is causing a rare public rift with one of Washington's key allies in Asia over how to achieve Pyongyang's denuclearization.
• West asked Iran 'don't hit Israel hard', lower intensity of True Promise: FM Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Iran's foreign minister says the West had asked the Islamic Republic to exercise restraint and lower the intensity of its retaliation before Iran's daring strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories in response to the regime's deadly attack on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria.
• No resistance group involved in Iran's 'legitimate' response to Israel: UN ambassador Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations has roundly dismissed the Israeli regime's groundless accusations and provocative rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, stressing that no resistance group was involved in the country's legitimate missile and drone strikes against the occupied territories.
• President Raeisi hails Iran's anti-Israel retaliatory strikes as 'source of national pride' Press TV 08 May 2024 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has praised as a source of national pride the Islamic Republic's daring strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the regime's earlier aggression on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria.
• Memorandum on Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 1245(d)(4)(B) and (C) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 The White House 08 May 2024
• Tehran urges IAEA to act independently, professionally IRNA 08 May 2024 -- The deputy chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the Islamic Republic expects the UN nuclear watchdog to act independently and professionally concerning the country's peaceful nuclear program.
• Chinese experts advocate thorough, objective investigation into terror attack killing five Chinese in Pakistan, urge joint counter-terrorism efforts among regional countries Global Times 08 May 2024 -- The ministry of defense of the Afghan Taliban government on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's allegations that Afghans were involved in a terror attack in which five Chinese nationals were killed in Pakistan in March. Chinese analysts called for a thorough investigation into the attack and urged regional countries to strengthen joint counter-terrorism efforts as the anti-terrorism situation in Central and South Asia deteriorates.
• Meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 May 2024 -- Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov today held comprehensive talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Saidov is in Pakistan on a two-day official visit.
• Human rights body calls 2023 a dismal year for Pakistan VOA 08 May 2024 -- Human rights in Pakistan took a nosedive and civic spaces contracted to an extraordinary degree in 2023 in the wake of violent political protests, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a new report reviewing the past year.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Prime Minister of Canada 08 May 2024 -- Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, about the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
• Georgian Protests Continue Against 'Foreign Agents' Bill, Absent Police Violence RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- Demonstrators against the so-called "foreign agents" bill awaiting its final reading in Georgia's parliament have marched again in the capital in the latest show of popular opposition to the government moves to enact legislation that risks damaging Tbilisi's relations with the West.
• The Head of State: Bulgaria and Azerbaijan Have a Common Interest in Using Their Strategic Advantages to Develop Connectivity between Europe and Asia in All Its Dimensions President of the Republic of Bulgaria 08 May 2024 -- Presidents Rumen Radev and Ilham Aliyev sign a Joint Declaration on strengthening the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan
• Former senior Ho Chi Minh City official arrested Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- Vietnam's communist party ordered the arrest of Le Thanh Hai, the former secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and a former Politburo member, state media reported.
• Cambodia and Vietnam defend their rights records Radio Free Asia 08 May 2024 -- Human rights are not universal and countries should be held to differing standards depending on their history, a Cambodian official told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, citing the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule 45 years ago as a handicap to progress.
• North Macedonia Ruling Party Concedes As Opposition Wins Dual Votes RFE/RL 08 May 2024 -- North Macedonia's ruling party conceded defeat late on May 8 in presidential and parliamentary elections, setting the stage for right-wing opposition candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova to become the country's first woman president and perhaps allow new leaders to shape the future of the Balkan nation.
• Unprecedented flooding displaces hundreds of thousands across East Africa UN News 08 May 2024 -- "Unprecedented and devastating" flooding in east Africa has triggered widespread displacement with hundreds of thousands forced from their homes in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Tanzania, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday.