• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 20 Jan 2010 [PDF]
• Airpower Summary: January 18 AFNS 20 Jan 2010
• Airpower Summary: January 19 AFNS 20 Jan 2010
• Bomber Strikes Iraqi Army Headquarters, Wounds 45 RFE/RL 20 Jan 2010 -- A suicide bomber blew up a sport utility vehicle at the Iraqi army headquarters in the northern city of Mosul today, wounding 45 people, police said.
• NMCB 74 Dedicates New Camp to Fallen Seabee Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- On December 21st, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74 held a dedication ceremony for their new camp, Camp Krutke, on Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. The camp was dedicated in honor of a Navy gunner's mate killed while deployed with NMCB 74 in March 2007.
• Marines train Afghan soldiers to be better warriors USMC News 20 Jan 2010 -- A platoon of Afghan National Army soldiers training with Marines at Forward Operating Base Geronimo Jan. 14 learned some of the most important skills they would ever be taught – how to save the life of an injured comrade.
• Gates: India, Pakistan Have Stake in Afghan Success AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Both India and Pakistan have a big stake in what happens in Afghanistan, and are playing significant roles to support the effort there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
• Afghan Forces Recover Drugs from Runaway Vehicle AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Afghan soldiers confiscated heroin and opium from a vehicle trying to bypass a checkpoint in Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.
• AFGHANISTAN: Warning over heightened risk to NGO staff in 2010 IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- A new report by the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) says the number of local NGO staff killed in violent incidents fell sharply in 2009 from the previous year, but warns that NGO staff could face increasing risks in 2010.
• PAKISTAN: Militants still targeting schools in northwest IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- Attacks by militants on schools across northwestern Pakistan are continuing despite army operations in the area which began in May 2009 in Swat District.
• Transcript: DOD Background Briefing with Senior Military Officials from the Pentagon DoD 20 Jan 2010 -- Presenter: Senior Military Officials
• Press Briefing on the U.S. Government Response to the Haiti Earthquake, 1/20/2010 The White House 20 Jan 2010
• Higgins Crew Makes a Difference in Haiti Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- On their way home to San Diego from a scheduled deployment in the 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) crew members were diverted to Haiti in the wake of a devastating earthquake which struck the country Jan. 12.
• Carl Vinson Sends Desperately Needed Water Ashore Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Using a new water dispensing system they designed, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Sailors were able to significantly increase the amount of water - nearly 3,000 gallons - Carl Vinson can deliver ashore while operating off the coast of Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response.
• Comfort Receives First Patients Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Navy medical professionals aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) received their first patients Jan. 20, delivered by an MH60S "Knighthawk" helicopter from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the middle of the night.
• First French Army simulator network achieved over distance Thales 20 Jan 2010 -- Thales has completed a successful simulator network between the French Army simulation facilities in Le Luc (EALAT army aviation training centre) and Canjuers (1st armoured regiment) for the first time.
• HAITI: Rebuilding health sector is "long-term challenge" IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- As Haiti’s overstretched hospitals struggle to cope with the immediate needs of survivors of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a response that equips the health sector for any future disasters.
• Bataan Receives MEDEVAC, Treats 19 Injured Haitians Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Navy medical professionals aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) received their first patients Jan. 20, delivered by an MH60S "Knighthawk" helicopter from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the middle of the night.
• NAVFAC Southeast Sending Engineers to Support Relief Efforts in Haiti Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Three active duty and two civilian engineers from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast are headed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) to assist with recovery efforts in Haiti. The civilians headed out from Naval Air Station Jacksonville Jan. 20 on a military flight.
• USNS Comfort Begins Work in Haiti And Prepares To Expand Medical Capability Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- The U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20), arrived off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 20 and began receiving injured patients from the local hospitals and international medical facilities currently in Haiti.
• Press Conference by Emergency Relief Coordinator on Current Situation in Haiti United Nations 20 Jan 2010
• Press Conference on Haiti by Assistant Administrator of United Nations Development Programme United Nations 20 Jan 2010
• Portsmouth Coast Guard cutter helps in Haiti US Coast Guard 20 Jan 2010 -- The first U.S. asset to arrive on scene to Haiti after the earthquake remains engaged in Haitian relief operations one week later.
• USNS Comfort to Receive 60 More NMCP Staff Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- An additional 60 staff members from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth left Jan. 20 to join the USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) to maximize the full capabilities of the hospital ship in providing medical care to injured Haitians.
• Maritime Force Serves as Cornerstone of Relief Operations in Haiti Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- A sea-based force of 8,500 Sailors, 11 ships and 42 aircraft is currently supporting the immediate delivery of aid to earthquake victims in Haiti as part of operation Unified Response.
• Army aid flows to Haiti from halfway around the world Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- When disaster struck Haiti, relief and humanitarian agencies around the world quickly looked to see if they could locate ways to provide a clean water supply among other basic life necessities.
• Haiti Earthquake Relief Army News 20 Jan 2010
• 3rd Bn., 405th AFSB supports humanitarian relief efforts to Haiti Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- The 405th Army Field Support Brigade completed operations Jan. 18 in support of U.S. Agency for International Development emergency relief efforts in Haiti.
• Sustainers deploy in support of Haiti Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- Between Jan. 15-17, liaison teams from Fort Knox's 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) deployed to Haiti, Fort Bragg, N.C., and U.S. Southern Command in support of relief efforts stemming from the earthquake devastation Jan. 12.
• Soldiers deploy by sea to assist in Haiti Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- Three Landing Craft Utility vessels, or LCUs, from the 97th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat) have been diverted from a training mission off the coast of Florida to Haiti in support of the relief effort.
• America's Contingency Corps drops supplies to assist Haiti Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- On Monday afternoon, 38 pallets containing much needed supplies landed via parachute onto designated drop zones in Haiti. These supplies, packed for air delivery by riggers from the 11th Quartermaster Company, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, were part of the continuing effort to provide humanitarian aid to the areas devastated by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the country Jan. 12.
• FORT BRAGG UNITS TO DEPLOY IN SUPPORT OF HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS IN HAITI Army News 20 Jan 2010 -- As of early Tuesday, Fort Bragg Soldiers have distributed more than 197,520 meals and more than 28,834 gallons of bottled water to Haitian citizens in the wake of last week's catastrophic earthquake, which has brought massive destruction and death to the small island country.
• Coast Guard personnel continue to assist Haiti with relief operations US Coast Guard 20 Jan 2010 -- Coast Guard personnel from units throughout the U.S., Guam, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico continue dedicating hours helping to provide much needed assistance in Haiti.
• Second Fleet Responds Quickly with Ready Forces for Global Needs Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Balancing U.S. global commitments with urgent needs, Commander, U.S. Second Fleet Vice Adm. Mel Williams Jr. mobilized 30 percent of the forces under Second Fleet's cognizance within 18 days, between Jan. 2 and Jan. 20.
• American Red Cross aids military relief effort at Homestead AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- American Red Cross officials are providing support to thousands of evacuees from Haiti at a processing center here in support of Operation Unified Response, the U.S. military's Haitian relief effort.
• Air Forces Southern marks major milestones in Unified Response AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Airmen from Air Forces Southern successfully evacuated 1,521 people Jan. 18 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti effectively doubling the cumulative evacuations of the previous five days from the earthquake-ravaged country.
• Peterson-based AF Reservists join in Haiti relief efforts AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Two Air Force Reserve aircraft and aircrews assigned to the Colorado-based 302nd Airlift Wing received short-notice orders over the weekend to airlift evacuees out of Haiti and deliver needed supplies to the earthquake-stricken Caribbean nation.
• Holloman Airmen prepare to help Haiti AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Units from across the base have been tasked to prepare personnel and assets to deploy in support of Operation United Response.
• AMC wings provide critical airlift role for Haiti earthquake victims AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Since relief operations began Jan. 13, Air Mobility Command aircraft have delivered more than 2,600 tons of cargo and nearly 5,300 passengers to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response.
• AFNORTH Airmen assist with Haitian relief efforts AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Air operations experts at Air Forces Northern are assisting 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern with humanitarian aid efforts following the Jan. 12 magnitude 7 earthquake that devastated Haiti.
• Florida Reserve base playing vital role in transporting relief supplies and people into Haiti AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida is playing a vital role in moving essential medical supplies, equipment and military support to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, said the commander of Air Force Reserve Command.
• 612th Air Operations Center manages, improves air traffic flow into Haiti AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- Air Mobility Division experts at the 612th Air Operations Center here have been working around the clock to improve the air traffic flow into the international airport at Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• Altus sends six C-17s for Operation Unified Response AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- The 97th Air Mobility Wing launched six C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the 58th Airlift Squadron Jan. 17 and 18, here, to assist with the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti, Operation Unified Response.
• Petraeus: Limited Airport Hampers Haiti Relief AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Limited runway space at the Port-au-Prince airport is hampering humanitarian relief operations in Haiti, the chief of U.S. Central Command said today.
• Arrival of Comfort Broadens Military’s Mission in Haiti AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- The arrival of the USNS Comfort, a military hospital ship, adds some 600 medical personnel to the humanitarian effort in Haiti, roughly tripling the number of American medical workers tending to the devastated country.
• US Navy Hospital Ship in Haiti, Treating Patients VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- The U.S. Navy Hospital ship Comfort reached Haiti before dawn Wednesday morning. Around that time, an aftershock that could even be felt on the Comfort, jolted the island, wrecking the pier that was going to be used as a staging area for patients. The ship's medical teams continue to receive patients by air.
• UN enlarges crucial communications centre for earthquake relief in Haiti UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- With access to information vital for making crucial decisions on how best to get help to some 3 million victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is rushing to enlarge the emergency communications network it has set up in a country where an already weak infrastructure has been destroyed.
• In Haiti, UN radio station resumes broadcasts with French support UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- One week after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, the United Nations radio station in Port-au-Prince, MINUSTAH FM, is back on air with material and technical assistance from Radio France and Télédiffusion de France.
• UN ‘strains every nerve’ to aid Haiti’s quake victims, but long way to go – top official UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- The United Nations is “straining every nerve” to ramp up its aid to the countless victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, from medical care, food and water supplies to security and logistics, but there is still a very long way to go, the world body’s humanitarian chief said today, eight days after the disaster struck.
• New Earthquake Jolts Haiti VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- The U.S. Geological Survey says the new quake, which shook Haiti just after sunrise Wednesday, was centered about 35 miles northwest of the capital Port au Prince. It was the largest of more than 40 significant aftershocks following the January 12th quake. There have been no reports of injuries from the new quake. Meantime, relief efforts continue in the aftermath of last week's earthquake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people.
• McChord deploys fourth C-17 in Haiti relief AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- The role of McChord Airmen in Haiti relief operations continued to grow Jan. 18 with the dispatch of a fourth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The aircraft departed for Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to take on specialized teams and relief supplies for immediate transport into Haiti's Toussaint L' Ouverture International Airport. Airmen were then to airlift evacuees back to the U.S.
• Air Force asset used to assess damage, needs AFNS 20 Jan 2010 -- After a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the capitol of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, last week leaving severe structural damage and an unknown death toll, the Air Force was tasked to provide imagery through the use of an observation aircraft.
• USNS Comfort Arrives in Port-au-Prince AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Haitian patients began arriving on the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort even as the ship approached its anchorage this morning.
• Logistics Agency Overnights 38,000 Maps for Haiti Relief AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- The Defense Logistics Agency’s map facility here has been working quickly to supply military and federal agencies with maps essential to the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti since the Jan. 12 earthquake there.
• Record Crowds Cause Unrest at Distribution Point AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- You could hear the crowd before you could see it.
• Gates Orders Additional Ship, Eyes More Capability for Haiti AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Just hours before another earthquake hit Haiti early this morning, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the Defense Department is sending a port-clearing ship and evaluating additional capabilities to assist the disaster relief effort.
• Aftershock Shakes Haiti; No Apparent Damage AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- An early morning aftershock shook the sleeping soldiers here from their bags as the building swayed and creaked for a few seconds.
• Comfort Receives First Haitian Patients AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- In a life-saving move, a Navy helicopter transported two severely injured Haitians to receive treatment aboard this hospital ship.
• USS Bataan Ready to Help in Haiti AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- The USS Bataan is in Haiti as part of the Bataan Amphibious Relief Mission to participate in Operation Unified Response.
• Taiwan contemplating Haiti debt relief decision CNA 20 Jan 2010 -- Taiwan is still studying how to offer its Caribbean ally Haiti debt relief or cancellation and will keep sending medical teams to help the quake-ravaged country, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman said Wednesday.
• Security Council authorizes 3,500 more UN peacekeepers for Haiti IRNA 20 Jan 2010 -- The Security Council Tuesday backed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to increase the overall force levels of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
• Marines arrive ashore in Haiti, deliver immediate aid USMC News 20 Jan 2010 -- Approximately 125 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit came ashore near Leogand, Haiti Jan. 19 beginning relief operations in a pasture that is now being used as a landing zone for helicopters loaded with supplies.
• UN agency reaches out to Haitians to jump-start post-quake recovery UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has employed almost 400 Haitians to give the local economy a boost and swiftly deliver urgently-needed humanitarian aid following the catastrophic earthquake which struck the Caribbean country last week.
• Strong Earthquake Shakes Haiti Again VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- A strong earthquake has again struck Haiti, shaking buildings and causing panic as international efforts to help those affected by last week's devastating quake continued.
• Britain to Lend Additional Support to Haiti VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown says more British assistance to quake-stricken Haiti is now on the way. Speaking in parliament, the British leader said an unloading vessel from the Royal Navy would be on its way soon and ways of helping the civilian government re-establish its influence on the island are also being worked on.
• US Military Delivers Radios to Haiti Earthquake Survivors VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- The U.S. military is delivering 50,000 hand-held radios to Haiti for survivors of the recent earthquakes.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Defense Chief Warns Al-Qaida Intends to Provoke India-Pakistan War VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- America's defense secretary is warning that al-Qaida, and what he calls its "syndicate" in South Asia, could provoke a new war between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.
• Transcript: Press Conference with Secretary Gates from India DoD 20 Jan 2010 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Evaluations Matter, Fort Hood Panel Says AFPS 20 Jan 2010 -- Leaders must take action when servicemembers display indicators of committing violence against their comrades, the co-chairs of a review panel appointed to assess the causes of the Fort Hood shootings said here today.
• DoD News: Senior Executive Service Appointment DoD 20 Jan 2010 -- Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the following Department of Defense Senior Executive Service appointment
• DoD News: New NSPS Transition Office Announced DoD 20 Jan 2010 -- The Department of Defense announced today the establishment of the National Security Personnel System Transition Office and the selection of John H. James Jr. as the director.
• CNO Approves Service Dress Khaki Uniform Design, Initial Wear Policy Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- Service Dress Khaki (SDK), featuring a contemporary design, was approved by the Chief of Naval Operations for development as an optional uniform for E-7 and above, as announced in NAVADMIN 020/10.
• New Radar Detection Lab Will Enhance Navy's Ability to Protect Nation Navy NewsStand 20 Jan 2010 -- On January 19, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii began construction of an Advanced Radar Detection Laboratory (ARDEL) facility.
• Logistics element conducts CLBEX USMC News 20 Jan 2010 -- The Marines and sailors of Combat Logistics Battalion 31 (CLB-31), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), kicked-off their new year by conducting CLB Exercise (CLBEX) Jan. 4-8.
• Poland plans to deploy US Patriot missiles near Russian border IRNA 20 Jan 2010 -- Poland plans to deploy US Patriot missiles in Morag, a town some 70 kilometers from the Russian border, Polish news reports quoted a defense ministry spokesperson as saying on Wednesday.
• Poland to move U.S. Patriots closer to Russian border RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- U.S. Patriot missiles will be stationed in northern Poland about 60 miles (100 km) from the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad rather than near Warsaw, the Polish defense minister said on Wednesday.
• Ukraine may join NATO Response Force in 2015-16 RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Ukraine has been invited to join the NATO Response Force as a partner country in 2015-16, a spokesman for the NATO military committee said Wednesday.
• Russian bombers complete Arctic patrol mission RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have successfully carried out a routine patrol flight over the Arctic Ocean, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 1/20/10 The White House 20 Jan 2010
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 Jan 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 20, 2010
• BAE SYSTEMS UNVEILS NEW MODERNIZED HOWITZER VEHICLE FOR U.S. ARMY BAE Systems 20 Jan 2010 -- BAE Systems today unveiled its upgraded PIM (Paladin Integrated Management) vehicle to military customers, Congressional representatives, community leaders and employees at a ceremony held at its York facility. PIM is the next generation howitzer in the M-109 Paladin family of vehicles, a combat proven weapon system manufactured by BAE Systems at York.
• Lockheed Martin Achieves Key Integration Milestones On First Mobile User Objective System Satellite Lockheed Martin 20 Jan 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that it has successfully mated the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite's high-performance communications system module with the propulsion core at its facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. Supporting ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM), MUOS will provide assured communications, including simultaneous voice, video and data, for mobile warfighters.
• CACI Demands Retraction of False Statements in New York Times Editorial CACI 20 Jan 2010 -- CACI International Inc (NYSE:CACI) announced today that it has demanded a retraction and correction to an editorial published in The New York Times on January 11, 2010. In the process of commenting on a matter involving a private security contractor, The Times editorial falsely characterized CACI's personnel who worked in Iraq as mercenaries. The editorial then asserted that CACI personnel were involved in "proven incidents of abuse in 2003 and 2004 in the Abu Ghraib prison" and implied that they had committed crimes for which they have not been held accountable. CACI regards these statements as maliciously false. CACI expects The Times to more faithfully execute its responsibility to deliver the news fairly and accurately. For the public record, CACI presents the following facts.
• Lockheed Martin Poised To Respond To Draft RFP For Ground-based Midcourse Defense Development And Sustainment Lockheed Martin 20 Jan 2010 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that it will respond to the draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Development and Sustainment Contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and associated facilities that the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) issued Jan. 19.
• Northrop Grumman Wins Saudi Arabian National Guard Contract With a Potential Value of $550 Million Northrop Grumman 20 Jan 2010 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a contract to continue the modernization and training of the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG). The contract has a potential value of $550 million.
• Raytheon Demonstrates Air-To-Ground Target Verification Capability At Bold Quest Exercise Raytheon 20 Jan 2010 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) recently demonstrated its proven Target Verification System (TVS) capability to provide air-to-ground combat identification for U.S. and coalition partners during Operation Bold Quest.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Offices of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President United Nations 20 Jan 2010
• Press Conference to Launch Report on ‘Shrinking Costs of War’ United Nations 20 Jan 2010
• CHAD: Aid agencies anxious over peacekeepers’ possible exit IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- Aid workers in volatile eastern Chad are anxiously watching discussions over the possible exit of UN peacekeepers, after the government has said it wants the mission out when its mandate ends on 15 March.
• Ongoing Israeli blockade jeopardizing health of over 1 million Gazans, UN warns UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- United Nations agencies and their non-governmental partners today warned of the impact of the Israeli blockade on Gaza’s population and on health services, and repeated their call for an immediate opening of the border crossings.
• Nigeria: Ban urges restraint as inter-religious violence takes deadly toll UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for maximum restraint after inter-religious violence in the central Nigerian city of Jos has reportedly left over 200 people dead.
• Sri Lanka: Ban concerned over rising violence ahead of presidential polls UN News Centre 20 Jan 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his concern over growing violence in Sri Lanka, including the reported killings of political activists, as the country’s people prepare to head to the polls to elect a new president.
• Somali Rebels Accused of Crime Within Capital VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Criminal acts from armed forces are on the rise in Mogadishu. Islamist fighters have been accused of abusing civilians and looting private property.
• DRC-CONGO: Concern for refugees rises as river runs low IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- John Kanilamba sits under the porch of a half-finished house on the outskirts of Dongou - his home, despite its lack of doors and windows - since early November. His four children play idly at his feet, all refugees from inter-communal clashes in Equateur province in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• YEMEN: Ministry announces refugee registration deadline IRIN 20 Jan 2010 -- Yemen’s Interior Ministry on 18 January announced that all unregistered refugees in Yemen must register with the authorities within two months. It justified the move saying illegal immigration was a real threat to the country's security.
• Malaysia Intensifies Border Security Following US Warnings VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- In Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah, authorities have intensified security along the maritime border because of continued strife in the southern Philippines and travel warnings from the United States.
• Mitchell Tells Lebanon, Syria: US Committed to Comprehensive Israeli-Arab Peace VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell has reiterated Washington's commitment to seeking a comprehensive Israeli-Arab peace deal, during visits to Lebanon and Syria.
• Airstrikes Target al-Qaida in Yemen VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Yemen says its fighter jets struck the home of a prominent al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist, the day after new international sanctions were announced against the group.

News Reports

• Swine Flu Still a Threat for West Africa VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Though the threat of the H1N1 pandemic appears to be waning in the United States and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the World Health Organization is still concerned about potential outbreaks of swine flu in West Africa.
• South Korean Human Rights Body Breaks Silence on Abuses in North VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- South Korea's government-funded human rights watchdog has issued its first report on widespread abuses in North Korea. The report reflects a significant shift in South Korea's approach to Pyongyang.
• Iran Six weighs new sanctions against Tehran over dialogue RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Iran Six mediators are discussing the transition from talks to new sanctions in response to Iran's refusal to fold its controversial nuclear program, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday.
• Ukrainian Presidential Candidates Vie for Support VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Contenders for the presidency of Ukraine are vying for political support as the final vote tally shows a 10 percent gap separating frontrunner Viktor Yanukovych from Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who finished second in Sunday's first round of voting.
• Ukrainian PM Offers Job To Rival Candidate For President RFE/RL 20 Jan 2010 -- Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's prime minister and a candidate in the country's February 7 runoff vote, told reporters in Kyiv today that she has offered a rival candidate the position of prime minister.
• Yanukovych rejects debate, says Tymoshenko can show off in kitchen RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Ukrainian presidential frontrunner Viktor Yanukovych refused on Wednesday to hold debates with his opponent, saying Yulia Tymoshenko should either take responsibility for every word as prime minister, or go to the kitchen.
• Tymoshenko says offered Tigipko premiership for runoff support RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Wednesday she had offered the post of prime minister to Sergei Tigipko, who came third in the first round of presidential elections, in exchange for his support in the runoff vote on February 7.
• Ukraine President Yushchenko says will not quit politics RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- Ukraine's outgoing president, Viktor Yushchenko, said on Wednesday he will not leave politics despite finishing fifth in Sunday's presidential elections.
• Ukraine presidential poll democratic and legitimate - Yushchenko RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2010 -- The first round of Ukraine's presidential elections held on January 17 was democratic and legitimate, incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko said on Wednesday.
• Ex-KNB Head Says Austrian Court Made Politically Motivated Verdict RFE/RL 20 Jan 2010 -- The former head of the Kazakh National Security Service (KNB) says a "not guilty" verdict by an Austrian court in an alleged abduction attempt against him was made to please Kazakhstan, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
• Did The World Get What It Wanted? RFE/RL Goes Back To The Experts RFE/RL 20 Jan 2010
• Guinea's Interim Prime Minister Wants New Government This Week VOA 20 Jan 2010 -- Guinea's opposition leaders have chosen Jean-Marie Dore to be the prime minister of the country's transitional government. Now that acting junta leader Sekouba Konate has returned to Guinea, Mr. Dore says the transitional government can be formed within days.
• Iraqi Cabinet Approves Bill To Protect Doctors RFE/RL 20 Jan 2010 -- The Iraqi cabinet has approved a bill designed to protect doctors against terror attacks and other dangerous assaults, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports.