The United States added seven Chinese entities to an export blacklist, accusing the groups of destabilizing actions including building supercomputers for China’s military. The move bars the blacklisted entities, a mix of companies and government research institutes, from using technology that originates in the United States unless they receive a difficult-to-procure license (WaPo) from the U.S. Commerce Department. It does not prevent foreign firms that use U.S. technology from supplying materials to the groups (FT), though Taiwan has pledged to work with the United States on monitoring its supply of semiconductors to China.

This is the first such restriction on Chinese organizations during President Joe Biden’s tenure, though the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations took similar actions. Bilateral tensions are fraught over issues including the disputed South China Sea, as well as China’s repressive behaviors in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang region. Leading U.S. senators announced that they will introduce legislation (SCMP) next week addressing these and other issues.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un told members of the ruling Workers’ Party to brace for “many obstacles and difficulties” (Yonhap), state media reported. He referenced the so-called Arduous March, a period of widespread poverty and famine in the 1990s. Experts say North Korea faces its biggest economic slump (FT) in decades.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—the joint lead of COVAX, an initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally—told Reuters that the Serum Institute of India, which is the world’s biggest vaccine producer, is legally bound to supply COVAX with COVID-19 jabs. India suspended major vaccine exports in March amid a surge in domestic COVID-19 cases.
 
This CFR Backgrounder offers a guide to global COVID-19 vaccine efforts.
 
Kyrgyzstan: Prosecutors opened a probe (RFE/RL) into officials’ possible negligence in responding to the suspected abduction and murder of a woman earlier this week. The incident, an apparent instance of “bride kidnapping,” has triggered public outrage.

Chinese and Russian envoys said today that discussions about the 2015 nuclear agreement will resume next week (Reuters) after progress was made in Vienna on Tuesday in bringing the United States and Iran back into compliance with the deal.
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains the Iran nuclear deal.
 
Israel: The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country will not cooperate (TOI) with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into potential war crimes in the Palestinian territories. In a response to the ICC due today, Israel will reject allegations against it and assert its ability to self-investigate (Reuters).

Voting is underway in Djibouti’s presidential election, which was boycotted by main opposition groups and is expected to result (AFP) in a fifth term for President Ismail Omar Guelleh. Though small, Djibouti hosts several foreign military bases (RFI) and serves as a hub for transportation and logistics.
 
Kenya: The country’s high court paused the government’s efforts to close two camps that house hundreds of thousands of refugees in Kenya’s east and north. The move came after a legal challenge argued that the shutdowns would violate Kenya’s constitution (AP) and international laws and treaties.

Prince Philip, husband of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II, died today at ninety-nine years old, Buckingham Palace announced (Sky News). A World War II veteran, Philip was the UK’s longest-serving consort.
 
Russia: In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded that Russia backtrack on an increase (France 24) of its forces around eastern Ukraine. Putin accused Ukraine of provoking the move, the Kremlin said. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the front line.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at the conflict in Ukraine.

Migrants, many from Central America, continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. American authorities said they detained more than 172,000 migrants (LAHT) along the border last month, the highest such figure in fifteen years. Meanwhile, U.S. apprehensions of unaccompanied migrant children rose to their highest monthly level (FT) on record.
 
Brazil: Coronavirus restrictions in the state of Rio de Janeiro are set to be eased today (MercoPress). The country recorded its highest-ever number of daily COVID-19 deaths yesterday. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco said the Senate will create a committee (Reuters) to probe the government’s coronavirus response.

President Joe Biden described the United States’ widespread gun violence as “an international embarrassment” and announced steps to curb it (NYT), weeks after high-profile mass shootings in Colorado and Georgia. Among other actions, Biden called for the Justice Department to more strictly regulate so-called ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers that are assembled from kits.