The Donald J. Trump administration’s task force on the coronavirus will likely disband (NYT) by the end of May so the White House can shift its focus to restarting the economy, officials said, even as new outbreaks emerge across the United States.

The task force’s televised briefings on the virus have been phased out (WSJ) in recent weeks. Right-wing protesters and some state governors have pushed for businesses to reopen (WaPo). As outbreaks grow (NYT) in hot spots such as Chicago and Los Angeles, individual U.S. agencies and government departments will take over responsibilities previously held by the task force, while governors will continue to play critical roles in response coordination. 

A pro-Beijing group of former officials, business tycoons, and university presidents launched a coalition (SCMP) that aims to address the coronavirus, revive Hong Kong’s economy, and resolve a political crisis over the city’s anti-government protest movement.

In Foreign Affairs, Jeffrey Wasserstrom discusses Beijing’s efforts to target Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement during the coronavirus pandemic.

North Korea: A new facility near Pyongyang International Airport “is almost certainly related to North Korea’s expanding ballistic missile program,” according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at North Korea’s military capabilities.

India dispatched ships to the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates as part of an effort to return 14,800 citizens stranded worldwide (Mint) to India during the coronavirus pandemic. As many as sixty-four repatriation flights are scheduled before May 13.

Turkmenistan: The World Health Organization (WHO) reportedly canceled a visit (RFE/RL) to the country, the only Central Asian nation with no officially reported coronavirus cases, after failing to receive an invitation.

Facebook said it suspended a network that used inauthentic behavior to spread pro-Iranian messaging (Reuters). The network had links to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting corporation. 

Libya: Forces under Libya’s internationally backed government seized (Al Jazeera) parts of an air base southwest of Tripoli from their opponents in the country’s civil war.

Sudan plans to establish a market (BBC) to buy and sell gold that will align its prices with global rates. Gold is often smuggled out of the country in search of higher prices abroad.

Ethiopia: The governing party of Ethiopia’s Tigray region said it will proceed with local elections (Reuters) planned for August despite a federal announcement in March postponing them. The party split from the country’s ruling coalition last year.

The European Union is expected to push a warning (Reuters) against alignment with China and Russia at a virtual summit today with Balkan nations seeking membership in the bloc. China and Russia sent doctors and medical supplies to Bosnia and Serbia in March, while the EU provided $3.6 billion worth of aid amid the coronavirus crisis.

For CFR’s Asia Unbound blog, Kirk Lancaster and Michael Rubin assess Beijing’s pandemic diplomacy.

Poland: The country’s lower legislative chamber is set to vote tomorrow on whether to allow mail-in ballots (Bloomberg) for a presidential election scheduled for Sunday. The prime minister’s chief of staff said Poland could hold a snap parliamentary election if the presidential vote is blocked.

The U.S. State Department and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido denied links (CNN) to a maritime operation that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed was a failed coup attempt. Maduro said authorities arrested two U.S. citizens.

Brazil: Domestic workers mounted a campaign with 87,000 supporters calling for paid leave (Guardian) during the coronavirus crisis.