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News Reports

Current Operations

• Airstrike, Taliban Raid Kill More Than 21 Afghan Security Forces VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- The Taliban has killed at least 14 Afghan soldiers and taken more than 20 others hostage in the western Afghan province of Herat, which borders Iran, officials confirmed Friday.
• Withdrawing US, NATO Troops From Afghanistan Risks '9/11' Recurrence - Pentagon Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Pulling US and NATO forces out of Afghanistan would give terrorist groups the opportunity and ability to rebuild in that country and develop the capability of carrying out more mega-attacks like the ones against the United States on September 11, 2001, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford said.
• Taliban Reportedly Kill 14 Afghan Troops, Capture 21 In Herat Province RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- Provincial officials in Afghanistan's western province of Herat say Taliban fighters staged a coordinated attack overnight on two Afghan army outposts, killing 14 Afghan soldiers and capturing another 21.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force proposes to base F-35s at Tyndall, supplemental funds needed to build advanced fighter base AFNS 07 Dec 2018 -- Following the damage to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, caused by Hurricane Michael, the Air Force is recommending that Congress use supplemental funding for rebuilding the base to prepare to receive the F-35 Lightning II fighter at the north Florida installation.
• USAFE-UK Host RAF Leaders sign Interoperability Charter AFNS 07 Dec 2018 -- U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force leaders met to discuss bilateral relations and sign the Combat Air Interoperability Working Group Charter at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., Nov. 27.
• USS Green Bay, USCG Team Up for Transport NNS 07 Dec 2018 -- Amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) embarked United States Coast Guard transportable port security boats (TPSBs) assigned to Port Security Unit (PSU) 305, Nov. 27.
• T&I Lab Purchases New Exoskeleton Suits for America's Shipyard NNS 07 Dec 2018 -- New exoskeleton technology has made its way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), and members of the workforce are now being certified for its use.
• NAVFAC Southeast DAT Deploys After Tornado Touches Down at NSB Kings Bay NNS 07 Dec 2018 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast dispatched a five-person Damage Assessment Team (DAT) to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, from Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Dec. 3, as part of a Contingency Engineering Response Team (CERT) after a tornado touched down on base, Dec. 2.
• F-35 Begins Initial Operational Test and Evaluation 16 Months Behind Schedule Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The US Defense Department announced Thursday that the F-35 Lightning II, better known as the Joint Strike Fighter, has begun its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) phase, which will test whether the plane is reliable enough for full production. The tests were supposed to begin a year and a half ago.
• Nuclear bomb kit reaches major milestone for production phase AFNS 07 Dec 2018 -- The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center received formal approval in late October to enter the production phase for the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb's new guided tail-kit assembly, or TKA.
• Unmanned aircraft enhances Army Guard response capabilities Army News 07 Dec 2018 -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and during recent Northern California wildfires, Army National Guard members deployed two types of unmanned aircraft systems that allowed for greater coordination of response efforts.
• US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Middle East VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- The USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East after eight months without a carrier in the region, U.S. officials confirmed to VOA.
• Russia says US stance on INF treaty aims to ruin New START pact Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the US threats to withdraw from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) pave the way for ruining the New START nuclear weapons pact.
• What Is the Mysterious 9М729 Missile the US Wants Russia To Ban Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Little is known about the 9М729 (NATO reporting name SSC-8) missile, which, as the US claims, violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Its characteristics are also a mystery, with military experts having multiple theories on the missile's origins.
• Lavrov: US Wants Russia to Ban Missile That Was Tested Within INF Framework Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Russian foreign minister has commented on the demand from US Undersecretary for Arms Control Andrea Thompson, which requires that Moscow either terminate the development of its 9M729 missile system or modify the weapon, pointing to its alleged non-compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
• U.S. Says Russia Must Scrap Or Modify Novator Missile System To Comply With INF RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- Russia must scrap its Novator 9M729 missile systems and launchers or reduce their range to comply with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and prevent a U.S. withdrawal from the Cold War-era pact, U.S. officials say.
• Russia's Immediate Return to INF Compliance Would Be 'Best Outcome' - Mattis Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that Russia's immediate return to the adherence with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty would be the best result in the current situation.
• 'North Korea keeping up work on missiles, capable of reaching US' Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- An American think tank says North Korea has expanded a missile base near its border with China that would possibly be one of the sites to deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States.
• Pilots use mock targets to simulate real combat People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- Chinese warplanes have replaced crosshair targets painted on the ground with mock weapons and equipment in this year's target practice, a move that better simulates actual combat.
• Kosovar Army Not Going to Hamper Relations With NATO - Kosovo PM Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The formation of a national army in the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo will not shadow Pristina's relations with NATO despite opposition by the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Thursday.
• Israel Secretly Trained in Europe to Destroy Hezbollah Tunnels – Report Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Israel Defence Forces launched Operation Northern Shield to annihilate the underground border tunnels of the Lebanon-based organisation on 4 December. The former Israeli defence minister admitted earlier that the country's officials had been hiding knowledge of the tunnels' existence for years to mislead "the other side".
• South Korea Approves $300 Mln Deal to Buy US Missiles for Aegis System Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- South Korea has decided to purchase a new batch of SM-2 ship-to-air missiles from the United States to equip three new destroyers with the Aegis system, South Korean Defence Ministry's procurement department said on Friday.
• Germany still selling arms to Riyadh despite halt triggered by Khashoggi case: Report Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Despite a halt earlier announced by Chancellor Angela Merkel in condemnation of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Germany is covertly exporting arms to Saudi Arabia and is even planning to resume overt sales soon, a report said.
• German Arms Supplied to Saudi Arabia Despite Halt Over Khashoggi's Case - Report Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing has prompted Germany to freeze arms export to Saudi Arabia, Berlin's second biggest weapons importer, until the case has been "cleared up" and call on other European countries to do the same.
• Pentagon Aims to Train Up to 40,000 Local Stabilization Troops in Syria Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- US and allied forces in eastern Syria need to complete training between 35,000 to 40,000 local troops to establish stability in eastern Syria following the defeat and expulsion of the Daesh terror group in those areas, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford said.
• Spain to Join French-German Project to Build European Sixth-Gen Fighter Jet Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Germany and France will have a new partner in their bid to build a European fighter aircraft: Spain will become one of the countries contributing to the high development costs of building a new-generation air combat system, according to a new report.
• Philippines Ditches Russian Helicopter Deal Amid Fears of US Sanctions Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- While many countries, such as India, Turkey and Indonesia have decided to stick to their Russian arms deals despite the threat of sanctions under the US CAATSA, some states have decided to play it safe and avoid ending up in the Treasury Department's blacklist.
• 'GoFundMe' Navy? Greece Wants Citizens to Crowdfund New Warships Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Greece has been battling a debt crisis for years, implementing harsh austerity measures, which fuelled public protests against the government's policies. But despite the lack of money, Athens doesn't plan to slack behind Turkey, its regional rival, in power of its naval forces.
• Spanish Shipyard Says Norwegian Navy 'Passes the Buck' Over Sunken Frigate Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- While the Norwegian Navy has taken urgent measures abroad for the peers of the sunken frigate KNM Helge Ingstad to prevent inundation, the Spanish shipyard that manufactured the hapless warship has accused the Norwegian authorities of looking for excuses.
• US Blocks Israel's Sale of Aging F-16 Fighters to Croatia - Reports Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Croatian government announced in March it was in talks with Israel to buy a batch of old F-16 fighters from Israel to the tune of $485.6 million.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 07 Dec 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 07, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 7 December 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Dec 2018
• 'Complacency is still strong' over stopping genocide, says top UN adviser UN News 07 Dec 2018 -- The current rise in hate speech, racial tensions and identity-based violence is alarming, the UN Special Adviser on preventing genocide said on Friday, highlighting his concern that 'complacency is still strong', when it comes to stopping the mass-killing or extinction of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups.
• UN emergency relief fund has 'never been more critical': Guterres UN News 07 Dec 2018 -- The mission of the UN's Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), which enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike, is more critical than ever, said Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, as a key pledging conference got underway at UN Headquarters in New York.
• China's wish to complete talks on South China Sea COC in 3 years "good sign" : Philippine defense chief People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday that China's wish to complete talks on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea in three years is "a good sign" and "good news."
• Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement rejects proposal to han dover Hudaydah Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has strongly rejected demands by its rival group, the country's former Saudi-backed government, to hand over the port city of Hudaydah and to inspect flights to Sana'a airport.
• Yemen Negotiations Face Numerous Stumbling Blocks on Day Two of Talks VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Talks between the opposing sides in the Yemeni conflict are deadlocked on day two of indirect negotiations outside the Swedish capital Stockholm, according to Arab media reports.
• WFP: More Funding, Access to Needy Are Critical in Yemen VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- The United Nations says the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is the worst in the world. As the country's warring parties hold U.N.-mediated talks in Stockholm, the World Food Program (WFP) in Rome is calling for immediate access because millions of people need food.
• Saudi warplanes launch 28 airstrikes on Yemen, kill 3 amid Sweden peace talks Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Saudi warplanes on Thursday launched over 28 airstrikes on various parts of Yemen despite earlier claims that it had ordered its forces halt their attacks on Yemen with the beginning of peace talks in Sweden.
• UN hopes for removal of Saudi blockade on Yemen as peace talks begin Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- The United Nations has called for the immediate removal of Saudi Arabia's blockade on Yemen as talks to end the ongoing war against the impoverished country begin in Sweden.
• Houthis Must Leave Al-Hodeida as Settlement Talks Begin – Yemeni Minister Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Houthi militants should withdraw from Al-Hodeida as the Yemeni government forces are close to regaining control of the port city, Osman Hussein, the Yemeni minister of agriculture and a member of the government delegation at the consultations on Yemen in Sweden, has stated.
• Fresh US-led airstrikes kill nearly dozen Syrian civilians in Dayr al-Zawr Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Nearly a dozen civilians have lost their lives and sustained injuries when the so-called US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out a number of aerial attacks in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.
• US-Led Coalition Strikes Hajin, Local Hospital Completely Destroyed - Reports Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Friday airstrikes of the US-led Coalition have completely destroyed a hospital in the Syrian city of Hajin in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, Ikhbariya broadcaster reported.
• The Russian and Assad Regime's False Allegations on Chemical Weapons Use in Aleppo US Dept. of State 07 Dec 2018 -- Press Statement by Robert Palladino, Deputy Spokesperson
• US Accuses Russia, Syria of Fabricating Story of Chemical Weapons Use VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- The United States has accused Russia and Syria of fabricating a story about chemical weapons use by Syrian rebels.
• Attacks Continue as Iraq Marks One Year Since Islamic State Victory VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- In the desert outside Mosul there is a giant sinkhole, once thought a natural wonder, with stories about it going back for generations.
• Kyiv Says Russia Blocking Kerch Strait, Plans To Send Ukrainian Navy Ships RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- Ukraine is accusing Russia of keeping up its blockade of the Kerch Strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, warning that it will soon send more navy ships through the strait.
• Russia Allegedly Sends Sub to Kerch Strait as Tensions With Ukraine Soar Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- A Twitter user claims a Russian submarine has been spotted leaving the port city of Sevastopol just days after three Ukrainian warships violated Russia's maritime border. The Russian Defence Ministry hasn't commented yet.
• Ukraine parliament votes to end Russia friendship treaty Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Ukraine's parliament has approved a motion presented by President Petro Poroshenko to end the country's Treaty of Friendship with Russia.
• US Not Mulling Military Response to Kerch Strait Incident - Pentagon Official Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Ukrainian consuls on Thursday met with three sailors from the Ukrainian naval ships captured in Russian waters last month, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said.
• Resolution Condemning Hamas for Firing Rockets Into Israel Fails in UN Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted on Thursday not to support a US-led resolution condemning Hamas in what is suspected to be US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley's final major statement in the international body.
• Amnesty censures South Sudan over rising number of executions Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Amnesty International has denounced a rise in the use of the death sentence in South Sudan, urging the world's youngest nation to "stop signing execution orders."
• US fails to condemn Hamas at UN General Assembly Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- A US-sponsored draft resolution seeking to condemn Palestinian resistance group Hamas at the United Nations General Assembly has failed to gain a majority vote.
• Cameroon Creates Disarmament Committee Amid Skepticism VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Cameroon says it has created a committee to disarm and reintegrate hundreds of separatist fighters and Boko Haram terrorists who put down their weapons. But analysts say the committee has a long road ahead in English-speaking regions, where fighting between the government and separatists has intensified.

News Reports

• U.S. Prosecutors Seek 'Substantial' Prison Term for Trump's Longtime Lawyer RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- U.S. prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer to a "substantial" prison term after he admitted to paying a porn actress money to keep her from embarrassing Trump during the 2016 election.
• Trump Chooses Nauert For UN Post In Round Of High-Level Moves RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has chosen State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the country's next ambassador to the United Nations in a round of senior staff changes halfway through his four-year mandate.
• Trump Names State Department's Spokesperson Nauert as UN Ambassador VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he will nominate State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
• Trump calls Tillerson 'dumb as a rock' Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Donald Trump has lashed out at his former secretary of state Rex Tillerson calling him "dumb as a rock" in a tweet after he described the US president as "undisciplined," unread and eager to break the law.
• Tillerson Says Often Pointed to Trump's Directives as 'Violating Law' - Reports Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- After weeks of media speculation on allegedly deep tensions between the former secretary of state and the president, Tillerson was fired by Trump in a straight-forward tweet in March, while then-CIA chief Mike Pompeo was appointed to assume the top diplomatic role instead.
• Top Democrat: Moscow Has Closed Cyber Gap With US VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee warns the United States is being outgunned in cyberspace, already having lost its competitive advantage to Russia while China is rapidly closing in.
• OFAC Extends Expiration Date of General Licenses Related to EN+, RUSAL, and GAZ US Treasury 07 Dec 2018 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today extended further the expiration date of certain general licenses related to EN+ Group plc (EN+), United Company RUSAL PLC (RUSAL), and GAZ Group (GAZ).
• Pompeo meets S. Korean FM on DPRK denuclearization People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha here on Thursday, discussing the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, said the U.S. State Department.
• S.Korea, DPRK hold liaison office meeting in Kaesong People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a vice-ministerial-level meeting Friday at the inter-Korean liaison office in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong.
• RSVIP: Seoul Awaiting Kim Jong Un's Response to Official Visit Invitation Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been invited to visit the capital of South Korea from December 12 to December 14, South Korean media reported Friday.
• Iran's Oil Minister Says Tehran Got Exemption From OPEC-Non-OPEC Oil Output Cuts Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said Friday that Tehran would be exempt from the oil cuts within the production freeze deal of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-cartel members.
• US, China Look to Limit Impact of Tech Head's Arrest VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- With many questions still unanswered, governments in both the United States and China appear to be working to limit the fallout from the arrest of a top Chinese technology executive and its possible impact on trade negotiations.
• Xi's trip adds stability, new momentum People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- President Xi Jinping's visits to Europe and Latin America have added stability to the global situation and brought positive energy into an anxiety-plagued international community, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday in Beijing.
• Huawei CFO Detained in Canada to Face Fraud Charges in US Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Canadian prosecutors said Friday that the US is seeking the extradition of Huawei Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou on suspicion of engaging in conspiracies to defraud multiple financial institutions and contravene US sanctions on Iran.
• Chinese Tech Executive Appears in Canadian Court VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- A top Chinese technology executive facing charges in the United States related to business dealings with Iran made a court appearance Friday in Canada, where her arrest this week rocked financial markets around the globe.
• After Huawei Arrest, White House Sticks With Hard Line on Trade Talks VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Top White House officials are continuing to take a hard line on U.S.-China trade talks, even after the arrest of a prominent Chinese tech executive that some fear could derail a trade truce between Washington and Beijing.
• If Brunei Takes China's Energy Deal, Neighbors May Follow VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Brunei, an oil-rich nation in Southeast Asia, watched with near horror as world energy prices fell from 2014 to 2016. Reserves were running out. Its lifeblood of 80 years at stake, the tiny, wealthy country is looking for other sources of prosperity.
• Christian Democratic Union votes in new leader, replaces Merkel Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Germany's Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) has elected Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as party leader, ending Chancellor Angela Merkel's 18 years of leadership.
• Germany's Christian Democrats Elect New Leader After Merkel Steps Down Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Earlier, former head of the Cristian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel announced her resignation as the party's chief amid poor results in the latest regional parliamentary elections.
• Ally of German Chancellor Merkel Elected to Succeed Her as Party Leader VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- A close ally has been elected to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the leader of the country's center-right Christian Democratic Union.
• Czech Intelligence Rejects President's Criticism On Reports Of Russian, Chinese Spies RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- The Czech Security Intelligence Service (BIS) has rejected President Milos Zeman's accusations that it is giving him "wrong" data about intensification of spying activities in the country by Russia and China.
• Assange's Lawyer Rejects Moreno's Deal to Leave Ecuadorian Embassy in UK Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Barry Pollack, a lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has rejected a deal that Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said he struck with UK authorities, giving the whistleblower guarantees that he can leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London without fearing that he would be put on death row outside the United Kingdom.
• KRG Leadership Contest: Nechirvan Barzani Hot Favourite For Presidency Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is in the process of forming a new government following parliamentary elections in late September, with the respective parties putting forward their candidates for high-level governmental roles.
• Pakistani minister hits back at Trump's criticism of Islamabad Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Donald Trump said in November that Washington had cut aids to Pakistan since the country, the US president claimed, had done "nothing" to fight terror. The blunt comment has not gone unnoticed and the latest Pakistani official to react was the federal minister for human rights, who censured the "nonsense."
• 'Hired Gun' No More: Pakistani PM Refuses to Fight US' War Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- The heads of the US and Pakistan exchanged accusations on Twitter last month, following Donald Trump's criticism of Islamabad and its policies. He claimed that Pakistan had received billions of dollars, but has done little in helping the US fight terrorism.
• Major Oil-producing Countries Agree to Cut Output VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Oil prices climbed sharply Friday after OPEC and other producers led by Russia agreed to cut output to reduce global inventories of crude oil.
• OPEC agrees joint 1.2mn bpd output cut despite US pressure Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 10 other oil producing nations have agreed to cut output by 1.2 million barrels a day despite opposition from US President Donald Trump's administration.
• Riyadh to Cut Oil Output by Extra 200,000 Bpd Under New Deal - Iraqi Minister Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- Saudi Arabia will reduce oil production under the new OPEC-non-OPEC agreement by additional 200,000 barrels per day as it has already cut output by 500,000 bpd, Iraqi Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban told reporters on Friday.
• China launches two satellites for Saudi Arabia People's Daily 07 Dec 2018 -- China launched two satellites for Saudi Arabia on a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:12 p.m. Friday.
• Saudi Arabia Successfully Launches Saudi Sat 5A and Saudi Sat 5B Satellites SPA 07 Dec 2018 -- Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed, President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), has extended his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Vice President of the Council of Ministers, and Minister of Defense on the successful launch of the Saudi Sat 5A and the Saudi Sat 5B satellites today, December 7, 2018 at 12:12 pm Beijing time on the Long March 2D from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center of the People's Republic of China.
• China Successfully Puts 2 Saudi Satellites Into Orbit – Space Corporation Sputnik 07 Dec 2018 -- China has successfully put into orbit two Saudi Arabia's satellites – SaudiSat 5A and SauditSat 5B, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said in a statement.
• Turkey's Stance on Khashoggi Killing Contrasts With Criticism Over Media Rights VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Turkey appears to be increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia over the death of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh's Istanbul consulate.
• Study: Terrorism Deaths Declining Globally VOA 07 Dec 2018 -- Deaths caused by terrorism have fallen in the past three years worldwide, a new global study found.
• Lebanon files complaint with UN over Israeli hacking of its telephone network Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Lebanese Ambassador to the United Nations Amal Mudallali has lodged a complaint with the United Nations against Israel's hacking into the country's telephone network in light of a recent operation that the Israeli military has undertaken to block what it claims are tunnels Hezbollah resistance movement has dug into occupied territories.
• Venezuela signs $6 billion investment deals with Russia Press TV 07 Dec 2018 -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has announced massive Russian oil and gold mining investments in his crisis-ridden country.
• Fugitive Nephew Of Former Armenian President Sarkisian Detained In Prague RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- Armenian police say the fugitive nephew of former President Serzh Sarkisian has been detained in the Czech capital.
• Court Reinstates Former Armenian President's Pretrial Detention RFE/RL 07 Dec 2018 -- An appeals court in Armenia has reinstated the pretrial detention of former President Robert Kocharian, who is accused of overthrowing the country's constitutional system.