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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• USARAF trains Nigerian Ranger Battalion for full spectrum operations Army News 09 May 2014 -- it is every bit of what we call decisive action, meaning those soldiers will go in harm's way to conduct counter insurgency operations in their country to defeat a known threat, and it's all purely funded by the Nigerians,' said Col. John D. Ruffing, chief of USARAF's Security Cooperation Division. 'So, they asked us for assistance, and we tailored a package that we agreed on and they influenced and help us put in parameters to work with.'
• U.S. Team in Nigeria to Help Locate Kidnapped Girls AFPS 09 May 2014 -- The United States has sent a team of experts to Nigeria to help the government in the West African country locate and free more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped last month by the Boko Haram terrorist group, a Defense Department spokesman said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Admiral Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 09 May 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• Hagel 'Not Pleased' About Budget Direction in Congress AFPS 09 May 2014 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is not pleased about the House Armed Services Committee's mark-up of the fiscal year 2015 Defense Department budget request, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.
• Hagel to Attend Middle East Defense Ministerial AFPS 09 May 2014 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will attend a regional defense meeting in Saudi Arabia next week during what will be his third trip to the Middle East since taking office.
• USS Vandegrift Departs San Diego for Deployment NNS 09 May 2014 -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) departed Naval Base San Diego for an independent deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility, May 9.
• Gettysburg Named Best Ship in the Atlantic Fleet NNS 09 May 2014 -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) was awarded the 2013 Battenberg Cup by Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, May 6.
• VMA-223 Marines return from supporting 31st MEU USMC News 09 May 2014 -- Approximately 30 Marines with Marine Attack Squadron 223 returned to Cherry Point from Okinawa, Japan, and Korea after supporting the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, during a Unit Deployment Program April 30.
• USS Carney Departs El Ferrol, Spain NNS 09 May 2014 -- The guided-missile destroyer, USS Carney (DDG 64) departed El Ferrol, Spain, May 8, after a regularly scheduled port visit.
• USS Rentz Decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego NNS 09 May 2014 -- The guided-missile frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) was decommissioned during a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, May 9, with friends, family and service members in attendance to celebrate the ship's 30 years of Naval service.
• NATO Secretary General visit to Estonia shows strong Alliance solidarity NATO 09 May 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stressed the strength of Alliance solidarity on Thursday (8 May 2014), at the start of a two-day visit to Estonia together with the North Atlantic Council. The visit, focusing on enhancing collective defence and cyber security, takes place as Estonia marks 10 years of NATO membership.
• Putin oversees countrywide military drills People's Daily 09 May 2014 -- MOSCOW, May 8 -- Russia's strategic forces conducted planned exercises Thursday in the country under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, the Interfax news agency reported.
• Putin Presides Over Massive Victory Day Ceremonies RFE/RL 09 May 2014 -- Speaking at massive Victory Day ceremonies in Moscow's Red Square, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the 'iron will' and resilience of the Russian people saved Europe from slavery.
• Iranian, Pakistani naval forces hold joint drill Iran Press TV 09 May 2014 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan have staged a joint naval drill in the northern Indian Ocean as part of efforts aimed at upgrading and exchanging military experience between the two neighboring states.
• May 9, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 09 May 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 08, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 9 May 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 May 2014
• Head of OPCW-UN mission urges 'final push' to complete chemical weapons removal UN News Centre 08 May 2014 -- The head of the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) today called for safe and unfettered access to the remaining eight per cent of Syria's chemical weapons material that needs to be removed and destroyed.
• China: Stop oil rig harassment People's Daily 09 May 2014 -- Beijing demanded on Thursday that Hanoi cease its harassing actions against a Chinese oil rig in waters off an island in the South China Sea and called for dialogue to end the conflict.
• ASEAN Summit in Burma Set to Discuss S. China Sea Disputes VOA 09 May 2014 -- Escalating tensions in the South China Sea are expected to be among the main points of discussion Saturday at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
• South Sudan President, Rebel Chief Reach Cease-Fire Deal VOA 09 May 2014 -- South Sudan's president and rebel leader have agreed to a cease-fire deal following growing international pressure to end months of ethnic fighting in the country.
• Political rivals must end dispute before South Sudan goes 'down in flames' - UN rights chief UN News Centre 09 May 2014 -- Warning that the litany of grave atrocities committed in South Sudan and catalogued in a new United Nations report bears the grim hallmarks of genocide, the Organization's human rights chief today called on the sparring political leaders there to take immediate steps to stop the killing, "before the fire they have ignited [brings] the entire country down in flames."
• Recent wave of attacks in north-east Nigeria 'unprecedented' – UN refugee agency UN News Centre 09 May 2014 -- The United Nations refugee agency said today it is alarmed at the recent wave of attacks on civilians in north-east Nigeria which has led to population displacement both inside the country and into neighbouring States.
• Security Council demands 'immediate and unconditional' release of abducted Nigerian girls UN News Centre 09 May 2014 -- The Security Council today demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of the schoolgirls abducted a few weeks ago by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, and called on the international community to work closely with the authorities to ensure their safe return.
• Bomb attack kills 30 in Nigeria's Borno State Iran Press TV 09 May 2014 -- At least 30 people have been killed in a bomb explosion that struck a village in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State near the border with Cameroon, local sources say.
• With Somalia again 'on precipice of crisis', UN relief official appeals for urgent funding UN News Centre 09 May 2014 -- Poor rains, high food prices and ongoing conflict have intersected to push Somalia once gain to the brink of crisis, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said today, warning that without immediate action, the fragile food security situation could worsen in the coming months, especially if funding shortages force essential projects to shut down.
• Gunfight Erupts Between Yemen Presidential Guards, Militants VOA 09 May 2014 -- In Yemen, witnesses say a gunfight broke out Friday between militants and security guards outside the presidential palace.
• Bleak choices for Mali refugees in Burkina IRIN 09 May 2014 -- More than a year after France's military intervention drove out Islamist militias, northern Mali appears to have regained some stability. However, Malian refugees at the Mentao camp in neighbouring Burkina Faso are wary of going back, citing security problems and unresolved political issues.
• Palestinians: Peace Talks Can Continue, Despite Unity Deal VOA 09 May 2014 -- Palestinian leaders are insisting stalled peace talks with Israel can move forward, arguing a unity pact between Fatah and Hamas is no obstacle to the negotiations.
• UN official wraps up Pakistan visit with calls to support people affected by insecurity, disasters UN News Centre 08 May 2014 -- Wrapping up a mission to Pakistan that included time in the country's tribal region, where the protracted suffering of the displaced is "heart-wrenching," a senior United Nations humanitarian official today stressed the need for more support to millions of people affected by insecurity, natural disasters and chronic malnutrition in the country.

News Reports

• Future of Odessa, Ukraine's 'Jewel of the Black Sea,' Uncertain VOA 09 May 2014 -- The violence between pro-Kyiv and pro-Russian groups in Odessa last week killed over 40 people and sent shockwaves across Ukraine and beyond. The city founded by Catherine the Great in 1794 has long been a cosmopolitan port attracting tourists and traders from across the world.
• Pro-Russians In Eastern Ukraine Gear Up For Self-Rule Referendum RFE/RL 09 May 2014 -- Pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine are putting the finishing touches on preparations for their referendum on self-rule, scheduled for May 11.
• Heavy Clashes In Mariupol As Ukrainian Security Forces Target Separatists RFE/RL 09 May 2014 -- Ukraine's Interior Ministry says about 20 'terrorists' have been killed in fighting between security forces and pro-Russian supporters in the eastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol.
• Putin in Crimea in First Visit Since Annexation VOA 09 May 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin declared his country is now stronger with the annexation of Crimea during his first visit to the region to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of Nazi occupation in the region.
• Pro-Russian Victory Day Attracts Small Crowd in Donetsk VOA 09 May 2014 -- With two days to go before pro-Russian separatists hold a referendum on whether to secede from Ukraine, they were only able to attract about 10 percent of the usual turnout for Victory Day.
• Donetsk Governor Says Kyiv Has Not Lost Control of East VOA 09 May 2014 -- The Kyiv-appointed governor of Donetsk said in an interview with VOA that the Ukrainian government has not lost control of the troubled region.
• Deadly Mariupol clashes leave at least 21 dead - Kiev VoR 09 May 2014 -- Around 20 self defense members were killed and four were captured in Mariupol during the fight at the city police department, while law enforcement authorities have one dead and five injured, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in comments delivered by Interfax.
• Kiev proposes conducting national-unity dialogue on May 14 VoR 09 May 2014 -- National-unity roundtable discussions will start in Ukraine on Wednesday, May 14, said Ukraine's interim prime minister, Arseny Yatsenyuk.
• Putin, On Visit To Crimea, Hails Return Of Peninsula To 'Motherland' RFE/RL 09 May 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin has used his first visit to Crimea since that Ukrainian republic's recent annexation by Russia to hail the peninsula's return 'to the fold of the motherland.'
• Ukraine proposes 'round table' meeting over crisis Iran Press TV 09 May 2014 -- Ukraine's interim authorities have proposed holding a round table meeting to resolve the crisis in the country.
• Clashes in Ukraine's Mariupol kill 8: Reports Iran Press TV 09 May 2014 -- Media reports say at least eight pro-Russia activists have been killed during heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces in the southern port city of Mariupol.
• Bangkok Braces for Renewed Conflict VOA 09 May 2014 -- Thailand's anti-government protesters celebrated the court-ordered removal of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra this week and returned to the capital Friday in a campaign to force the entire government to resign.
• Death toll from MERS rises to 126 in Saudi Arabia VoR 09 May 2014 -- Saudi Arabia's death toll from MERS has risen by five to 126 fatalities since the mystery respiratory virus first appeared in the kingdom in 2012, the health ministry said Friday.
• UK MPs call for intelligence overhaul amid leaks Iran Press TV 09 May 2014 -- British lawmakers have called for radical reforms in the oversight of the country's intelligence system, following disclosures by the American whistleblower Edward Snowden.
• Astronomer's Discover Sun's 'Sibling' VOA 09 May 2014 -- Scientists say they have found what they're calling the "first sibling" of the Sun.