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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 09 Dec 2016 [PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 09 Dec 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Airstrike Destroys Fleet of ISIL Oil Tankers in Syria AFPS 09 Dec 2016 -- In the largest airstrike of its kind to date, the coalition destroyed a fleet of 168 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant oil tanker trucks near Palmya, Syria, according to a Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve news release.
• Press Conference With General John Nicholson DoD 09 Dec 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; John Nicholson, Commander of International Forces in Afghanistan
• Remarks with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani DoD 09 Dec 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani
• Secretary Carter Arrives in Afghanistan for Visit to Thank U.S. Troops DoD 09 Dec 2016 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Afghanistan Friday on a visit to thank U.S. troops for their service to the nation during the holidays, receive an update on NATO and U.S. efforts to support Afghan security forces and to meet with senior Afghan officials including President Ashraf Ghani.
• Carter, Ghani, Reaffirm Security Commitment for Afghanistan AFPS 09 Dec 2016 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today reaffirmed their strong strategic partnership and common vision for a secure and prosperous Afghanistan during a meeting in the country's capital of Kabul.
• Ashton Carter makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to consult with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and US military commanders regarding the future of America's 15-year-long military campaign there.
• Pentagon to deploy 2,300 more US troops to Afghanistan Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- The United States military says it will deploy an armored brigade and an aviation brigade totaling about 2,300 soldiers to Afghanistan this winter.
• Carter: US Will Remain 'Committed' to Afghanistan VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has praised the "growing capabilities and resilience" that Afghan security forces have demonstrated this year in battling the Taliban insurgency and conducting joint operations with American partners against Islamic State terrorists.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Paratroopers train to build capabilities during CALFEX with NATO partners Army News 09 Dec 2016 -- The sounds of artillery echoed in the distance as Paratroopers assigned to Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne, conducted a company-level Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) with NATO partners at Camp Adazi, Latvia, Dec. 7, 2016.
• Army to test new armored vehicles as it updates older platforms Army News 09 Dec 2016 -- The first armored multipurpose Vehicle, or AMPV, is scheduled to be handed over to the Army Dec. 15 for testing.
• Multiple F-35s take to the skies to test communication data links AFNS 09 Dec 2016 -- All three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter were used by the 461st Flight Test Squadron in recent multi-ship testing, which employs four or six jets to ensure communication systems between the planes are working properly and accurately.
• James visits F.E. Warren, discusses force improvement efforts AFNS 09 Dec 2016 -- Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base to speak directly with Airmen about ongoing improvement efforts throughout the nuclear enterprise, Dec. 7-8.
• US, Japan service members simulate defense of Japan during Yama Sakura 71 USMC News 09 Dec 2016 -- U.S. Marines and Japanese service members began a command post training exercise here today to rehearse a series of fictional contingency operations in and around Japan.
• Marine Corps strives to be leaner, meaner, greener USMC News 09 Dec 2016 -- As an ongoing effort to be the premier self-sufficient expeditionary force, the Marine Corps is striving to make itself leaner, meaner and "greener" as it takes a look at energy use across the Corps, equating the efficient use of vital resources with increased combat effectiveness.
• Nimitz Successfully Completes Compressed IDTC Basic Phase NNS 09 Dec 2016 -- Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Sailors successfully completed Tailored Ship's Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP) Dec. 8, completing the ship's 180-day, Inter-deployment Training Cycle Basic Phase in only 54 days.
• USS John C. Stennis Departs Pearl Harbor NNS 09 Dec 2016 -- Aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed Pearl Harbor, Dec. 8, after taking part in National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day events.
• USS Mahan Visits Ancient Port of Call In Greece NNS 09 Dec 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) arrived in Piraeus, Greece, Dec. 9, for a scheduled port visit to enhance U.S.-Greece relations as the two nations work together for a stable, secure, and prosperous Europe.
• Southcom Commander Stresses Need for Collaboration Against Threat Networks AFPS 09 Dec 2016 -- Trust, collaboration and innovation are necessary in fighting threat networks and their finances, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said Dec. 7 in opening remarks for the 15th Caribbean Nations Security Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• US May Adjust Joint Military Training With Philippines VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- A top U.S. Army general says his forces "may have to make some adjustments" to upcoming joint exercises in the Philippines if the new government no longer wants to conduct military combat readiness exercises.
• Russia's Lavrov Sees 'Frantic' Rush On Montenegro NATO Membership RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he believes "frantic attempts are being made to pull Montenegro into NATO" before the end of U.S. President Barack Obama's term in January.
• Russian Foreign Ministry Refutes Claims on Militarization of Kaliningrad Exclave Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- Poland's claims that Russia is militarizing its exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea are false, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third European Department Director Sergey Nechayev said Friday.
• Russia Contracts for Another 7 Coastal Project 12700 Minesweepers - Navy Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- Russia contracted for another seven Project 12700-class coastal minesweepers for its Navy, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Adm. Vladimir Korolev said Friday.
• U.S. Congress backs military exchanges with Taiwan CNA 09 Dec 2016 -- The U.S. Congress on Thursday passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2017, which included for the first time a section on senior military exchanges with Taiwan.
• US Space Command Chief: China Eyeing Space War Dominance VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- A top U.S. military official says the U.S. is actively pursuing abilities to deter Russia and China from waging a conflict in space.
• US Official: North Korea's Nuclear Capabilities Growing VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- North Korea now has the capability to launch a nuclear weapon, but it may not be able to hit its intended target, according to a senior U.S. military official.
• Indian Defense Minister Keeps Eye on Pakistan's Nuclear Expansion Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- What is making India anxious is that in a decade Pakistan may have the world's third largest stockpile of nuclear warheads.
• Arrest of Ex-Service Chief Heralds Major Indian Crackdown on Dodgy Defense Deals Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- Indian probe agencies are looking into half a dozen defense deals where there is evidence of corrupt practices. For the first time in India, a former Indian Air Force chief has been arrested for corruption.
• India, China in Indian Ocean Tug of War? Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The Indian Ocean is no longer an idyllic commons as both India and China are stepping up naval activity. For India, three regional hotspots are of concern because of increasing Chinese naval interest.
• Army Ground Forces to hold major drill in southeast Iran Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- A senior Iranian military commander says the Army's Ground Forces will stage a major military maneuver in the southeastern parts of the country with the aim of boosting their combat readiness.
• Israel, S Africa conducted nuclear test in 1979: Declassified documents Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- A new trove of declassified documents indicates that Israel and the Apartheid regime of South Africa conducted a joint nuclear test in the South Atlantic Ocean nearly four decades ago.
• US to sell $7bn worth of military aircraft, missiles to four Arab states Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- The Pentagon has given the go-ahead for the sale of $7 billion worth of military aircraft and missiles to four Arab states, the bulk of which is to head to Saudi Arabia.
• Russian Helicopters to Deliver Mi-8 Parts to Peruvian Air Force Starting 2017 Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The Russian Helicopters holding won a tender for supplying the Peruvian Air Force with parts for Mi-8 helicopters and will begin deliveries in 2017, the company's deputy CEO, Grigory Kozlov, said Friday.
• December 9, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 09 Dec 2016
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz, 12/9/16 The White House 09 Dec 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 09, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 9 December 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Dec 2016
• Honouring victims of genocide, UN chief decries attempts to separate people into 'us and them' UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- Marking the second International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon today urged Member States to honour those victims by "working even harder against expressions of hatred, intolerance, racism and xenophobia."
• Taiwan to uphold sovereignty over islands in South China Sea: Tsai CNA 09 Dec 2016 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday Taiwan will firmly uphold its sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea and its rights in the region based on international and maritime laws.
• UN relief wing allocates $58 million for life savings assistance in war-torn Yemen UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- Amid soaring malnutrition and collapsing basic services in Yemen, a staggering 18.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, the United Nations relief wing has reported as it allocated $58 million through the Humanitarian Pooled Fund to bolster life-saving activities across the crisis-gripped country.
• Saudi rocket, aerial attacks against Yemen kill seven, injure 11 Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Saudi rocket and aerial attacks have reportedly killed seven civilians and injured 11 others in the northwestern Yemeni province of Sa'ada.
• Iranian-Turkish Tensions Escalate Over Syria, Iraq VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Tensions between neighbors Turkey and Iran are on the rise, with the countries jostling for influence in war-torn Syria and Iraq. But there are concerns that the rivalry is fueling sectarian divisions in the region. The tensions could also open the door to cooperation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
• 300 commandos to join Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Turkey is dispatching hundreds of more soldiers to Syria to reinforce its first major US-backed incursion of its conflict-ridden southern neighbor.
• Turkey-Backed Free Syrian Army's Units Enter Daesh-Controlled Al Bab - Source Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The units of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) backed by Turkish forces entered Syria's Daesh-controlled Al Bab, located in the Aleppo governorate, 19 miles away from the Turkish-Syrian border, FSA sources told Sputnik Friday.
• Dozen dead as Turkish army shells north Syrian city Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- At least a dozen civilians have lost their lives when Turkish artillery units shelled the purported positions of the Takfiri Daesh terrorists and US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria's troubled northern province of Aleppo.
• Turkish Troops, Syrian Rebels Attack Key Town Held by Islamic State VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army rebel fighters launched an assault Friday on al-Bab, a strategic Syrian town northeast of Aleppo which rival Kurdish militias aligned with the U.S. also want to seize from the Islamic State terror group.
• Russia Resumes Aleppo Bombings After Brief Pause VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that Russia and Syrian government forces would continue their bombing raids in Aleppo until rebels vacated the city.
• Promised victory coming for Syria, allies in Aleppo: Nasrallah Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says the "promised" victory is imminent for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the city of Aleppo.
• Syrian army forces control 93 percent of Aleppo: Russia Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Syrian army ground forces and allies have liberated 52 blocks in the eastern parts of the city of Aleppo from the grip of foreign-backed militants and are now in control of 93 percent of the whole northwestern city, Russia says.
• Terrorists blocking civilians from leaving Aleppo: UN Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- The UN human rights office says foreign-backed militants are blocking civilians from fleeing eastern parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo to the government-held sector.
• Chechen Troops Ready To Fight In Syria, Kadyrov Says RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- The head of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, asserts that troops based there would be happy to fight what he called "scum" in Syria if President Vladimir Putin wishes.
• Syrian Government Offensive In Aleppo Continues Despite Cease-Fire Claim RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- Syrian government forces and their allies have continued their offensive against rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo, despite an announcement by Russia the previous day that the offensive had been halted to allow for the evacuation of civilians.
• Free Syrian Army Enters al-Bab From North, East With Turkish Army Support Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- Free Syrian Army troops entered the Syrian city of al-Bab in the Aleppo Governorate from North and East with the support of the Turkish army on Friday, according to the information received by Sputnik correspondent from a source in the FSA.
• 'Outraged' UN Member States demand immediate halt to attacks against civilians in Syria UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- Expressing "outrage" at the escalation of violence in Syria, particularly war-battered Aleppo, the General Assembly – the universal body comprising all 193 United Nations Members States – today adopted a resolution demanding an immediate and complete end to all attacks on civilians as well as an end to all sieges in war-ravaged country.
• EU Warns Against Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure in Aleppo - Source Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The European Union called on all the parties concerned not to attack civil infrastructure and to provide civilians with the opportunity to receive humanitarian relief after the shelling of Russian hospital in Aleppo, a EU representative told RIA Novosti Thursday.
• Iraqi Special Forces win back 3 districts in eastern Mosul Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Iraqi government forces have established full control over three more neighborhoods in the eastern quarter of Mosul as they try to drive Takfiri Daesh terrorists out of the northern city in joint operations with allied fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
• Iraqi Troops Recapture Three Northern Districts in Mosul Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The Iraqi army managed to recapture 3 districts of Mosul – Nawafel, Simyak and Abbassiya, security sources were quoted by Iraqi press as saying Friday.
• UN interagency operation provides vital aid to 42,000 people in eastern Mosul UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- Joint efforts by three United Nations agencies – the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) – saw over 42,000 people in eastern Mosul receive food, dignity kits, water purification tablets, jerry cans, and baby hygiene kits yesterday, marking the largest humanitarian aid delivery since the beginning of the current conflict.
• Greece: UN agency cites struggle to provide shelter for asylum-seekers as winter arrives UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- As winter closes in on Greece, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today that improving living conditions for asylum-seekers and migrants is the 'number one priority' for humanitarian actors in the country and urged the European Union to speed up its relocation efforts.
• Myanmar urged to allow aid deliveries to Rakhine Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Several Western countries have called on Myanmar's government to allow humanitarian aid deliveries to Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine.
• UN calls on Myanmar's Suu Kyi to take action to end Rohingya crackdown Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- The United Nations has called on Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to take action to end a brutal military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority in the country's northern Rakhine state.
• Diplomats Urge Myanmar to Allow Aid in Rakhine State VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Fourteen diplomatic missions including the United States urged Myanmar to allow humanitarian aid into troubled Rakhine state, where tens of thousands of people in need have not had access to medicine or other assistance since a military operation began two months ago.
• Thousands flee from fresh violence in Congo-Brazzaville: UN Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Fresh fighting in the Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, between government forces and rebels has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
• Suicide Bombing Kills 30 in Nigerian Market VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- At least 30 people are dead in northeast Nigeria after a pair of female suicide bombers struck the busy market Friday morning, Nigeria's army said.
• Bomb explosions kill at least 56 in northeast Nigeria Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Over 50 people have been killed after two women blew themselves up in a bustling market in Nigeria's northeastern town of Madagali, officials says.

News Reports

• Obama orders full review of 2016 election hacking Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- US President Barack Obama has ordered a full review of alleged hacking by the Russians into the 2016 election, says the White House.
• Alleged Russian Cyberattacks Review to Look at Full US Election Cycle Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- According to a White House deputy press secretary, US President Barack Obama's directive to conduct a full review of alleged Russian cyber interference will include the 2008 presidential election.
• Obama Orders Review of US Election Hacking VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- President Barack Obama has ordered the intelligence community to conduct a "full review" of "hacking-related activity aimed at disrupting the 2016 U.S. presidential election."
• Strained US-Philippine Ties Show Signs of Improvement VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Relations between the United States and one of its oldest allies, the Philippines, show signs of returning to normal after a crisis in September when the president in Manila demanded Washington withdraw military support and talked of a deeper break in ties with the superpower.
• Ukrainians Want to Make a Deal with Trump VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Ukrainians trying to figure out what to expect from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may be having trouble.
• US needs to improve relationship with China: Trump Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- US President-elect Donald Trump has called for the improvement of relations with China, the country he previously censured for its economic policies and alleged violation of trade rules.
• Ex-U.S. official calls on Taiwan foreign minister CNA 09 Dec 2016 -- A member of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team called on Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) Friday and the two exchanged views on the challenges facing Taiwan.
• HK Chief Executive not to seek re-election People's Daily 09 Dec 2016 -- China's Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced on Friday that he will not seek re-election in 2017 due to family reasons.
• China Charges Lawyer Treason After Recent Disappearance VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- China is showing

• DPRK FM Spokesman Denounces Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights KCNA 09 Dec 2016 -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK Friday gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA as regards the fact that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pulled up the DPRK over the issue of divided families in the north and the south of Korea:
• Human rights violations in DPR Korea 'warning signs of instability and conflict,' Security Council told UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- Citing human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), senior United Nations officials today highlighted the need for the Security Council to pay attention to the situation "of great concern."
• China Fails to Block UN Meeting on North Korea Rights VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- The U.N. Security Council discussed the situation of human rights in North Korea on Friday, despite efforts by China to block it.
• Impeached S.Korean president to gravely accept parliamentary decision People's Daily 09 Dec 2016 -- Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that she is gravely accepting the parliamentary decision to remove her from office after her impeachment motion was passed through the National Assembly with an overwhelming support.
• S.Korean Prime Minister to Assume Leadership in Wake of President's Impeachment Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- South Korean Prime Minster Hwang Kyo-ahn will serve as the country's interim leader after the parliament voted on Friday in favor of impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, local media reported.
• South Korean President Accepts Parliament's Impeachment Vote Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Friday she accepted the parliament decision to impeach her.
• South Korean Parliament Votes in Favor of President's Impeachment Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The South Korean parliament has voted in favor on the issue of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.
• S.Korean lawmakers overwhelmingly pass presidential impeachment bill People's Daily 09 Dec 2016 -- South Korean parliament overwhelmingly passed a historic bill Friday to impeach scandal-scarred President Park Geun-hye as it gained the two-thirds majority vote.
• South Korea lawmakers pass impeachment motion against Park Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- South Korean lawmakers have approved an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye, stripping her of sweeping executive powers over a corruption scandal that has rattled her administration.
• Zarif says commitment to JCPOA is to US benefit IRNA 09 Dec 2016 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a multilateral treaty and it will be to the benefit of the US and other sides to remain committed to such internationally recognized treaty.
• WADA Report On Alleged Russian Doping Finds Long-Standing 'Institutional Conspiracy' RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- A new report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on alleged drug use in Russian sports has found evidence that more than 1,000 Russian athletes were involved in or benefited from manipulations of their positive drug tests.
• Russian Sports Ministry Denies Existence of State-Run Doping Programs Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- The Russian Sports Ministry assured in a Friday press-release of state-run doping programs non-existence and promised to continue fight against doping.
• Chechen Whistle-Blower Appeals To Russian Investigators Over Threats By Local Authorities RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- A man in hiding from local authorities in Russia's Chechen republic has drafted an appeal to federal law enforcement to investigate the death threats he says prompted him to flee the North Caucasus last month.
• Ankara seeks arrest of academics in post-coup crackdown Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of 87 people linked to Istanbul University as the state keeps up its purge of what it calls the academic structure linked to US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.
• Ankara Orders Arrest of 87 Istanbul University Employees on Alleged Ties to Coup Sputnik 09 Dec 2016 -- Turkish prosecution sanctioned arrests of 87 Istanbul University employees who may be linked to Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen accused of orchestrating the July coup attempt, local media reported Friday.
• Ghana's local media declare opposition candidate winner of presidential election Press TV 09 Dec 2016 -- Two local media outlets in Ghana have claimed that main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo has won the country's presidential election.
• Ghana's Opposition Leader Wins Presidency VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Longtime Ghanaian opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo has won the presidency on his third attampt, defeating incumbent President John Mahama.
• Ban congratulates Ghana on peaceful elections but urges peaceful resolution of any disputes UN News 09 Dec 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the people of Ghana for exercising their democratic rights and peacefully conducting the presidential and parliamentary elections on 7 December.
• Five Things To Watch In Macedonia's Early Elections RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- Macedonian voters, having witnessed nearly two years of political scandal and instability, are anxiously looking to their country's long-delayed early parliamentary elections as a way forward.
• French Court Cancels Extradition Of Kazakh Dissident Tycoon To Russia RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- France's highest administrative court has canceled an extradition order to send Kazakh tycoon and opposition leader Mukhtar Ablyazov to Russia.
• Uzbekistan Exonerates Soviet-Era Leader Convicted In High-Profile Corruption Case RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- Uzbekistan has exonerated its Soviet-era leader Inomjon Usmonhojaev, who was convicted during a high-profile anticorruption campaign known as "the Uzbek case" or "the cotton case" in 1989.
• Outside Russia and OPEC, Few Are Pledging To Cut Oil Output RFE/RL 09 Dec 2016 -- Less than half of 14 major oil-producing countries have agreed so far to attend a meeting on December 10 aimed at securing their public commitment to output cuts sought by OPEC, cartel officials said on December 8.
• Gambian President Rejects Election Outcome VOA 09 Dec 2016 -- Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh says he rejects the outcome of last week's elections, after previously conceding defeat and vowing to step down.