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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• CJTF-OIR reflects on significant military gains, fighting ISIS in 2018 CENTCOM 09 Jan 2019 -- Within one year, the Coalition has grown from 70 nations and four partner organizations to 74 nations and five partner organizations in the campaign to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS. The Coalition welcomed the Philippines in February, Republic of Guinea and the Community of Sahel-Sahran States in June, Kenya in August, and Fiji in September.
• Pompeo Vows to Coordinate US Troops Pullout From Syria With Iraq - Baghdad Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Wednesday that Washington will coordinate with Baghdad the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, which is planned to be carried out gradually, the Iraqi prime minister's press service said.
• U.S. Envoy On Afghanistan Starts Regional Tour After Taliban Talks Cancelled RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- The U.S. special envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has begun a two-week diplomatic tour of Afghanistan and other countries in the region in an attempt to push forward the peace process with the Taliban.
• Iran vows help to Afghanistan-Taliban talks IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- A top military advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader highlighted the importance of promoting security in Afghanistan and voiced Iran's willingness to help talks between Afghan government and Taliban to reach understanding.
• US Military Hits Somali Militants in 4th Airstrike This Week VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- The United States military has killed six al-Shabab militants in Somalia, in the fourth airstrike there this week, according to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

Defense Policy / Programs

• Soldier Center tests new Army combat boot prototypes Army News 09 Jan 2019 -- The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center at Natick is testing new Army Combat Boot (ACB) prototypes at three different basic training and active duty installations over the next four months. The effort will gather Soldier feedback toward development of improved footwear.
• Perna shares perspective on how Guard can keep pace with new battlefield Army News 09 Jan 2019 -- The Army's senior logistician called on leaders to keep pace with modernization efforts, which enable the lethality and success of the force, during an Army National Guard Commanders Conference, Jan. 4.
• Commander Stresses Importance of Indo-Pacific Partnerships AFPS 09 Jan 2019 -- Carrying the message that the Indo-Pacific region should be about building communities, not about confrontation, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command participated in a panel discussion in New Delhi today as part of the Raisina Dialogue, an annual multinational conference geared toward issues facing the global community.
• DOD Launches Talent Exchange Pilot Program to Strengthen the Acquisition Workforce DoD 09 Jan 2019-- This week the United States Department of Defense (DOD) launched the Defense-Industry Talent Exchange Pilot Program. This acquisition-focused pilot program will enable 13 DOD and private sector participants to gain a better understanding of each other's business operations, and share innovative best practices.
• Navy to Commission Littoral Combat Ship Wichita DoD 09 Jan 2019 -- The Navy will commission its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Wichita (LCS 13), during a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday, Jan. 12, at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., near Jacksonville, where the ship will be homeported.
• Successful drop: Soldiers test low-cost parachute system Army News 09 Jan 2019 -- Soldiers and Marines partnered to train with and test a low-cost parachute system at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Dec. 10, 2018.
• Pentagon: US Military Logistics Systems Not Fit for Conflict With China, Russia Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- The United States Department of Defense's supply chains have deteriorated, and they now require significant modernization – and taxpayer funding – if Washington wishes to make war with Russia or China, according to an internal Pentagon report.
• US Navy Destroyer Discreetly Tested Hyper Velocity Projectiles at 2018 RIMPAC Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- A US Navy vessel's standard Mk 45 deck gun fired 20 hyper velocity projectiles – which are getting Pentagon funding over the electromagnetic railgun - in the shadows of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 international exercise, a new report says.
• Pompeo makes unannounced visit to Iraq, makes no statements to the media Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made an unannounced visit to Iraq, involving meetings with high-ranking officials and no statement to media.
• U.S. Secretary Of State Meets Troops, Iraqi Leaders In Unannounced Visit RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has visited Iraq in a previously unannounced visit, where he met with U.S. troops and Iraqi leaders to reassure them about a planned U.S. military withdrawal from Syria.
• Pompeo Meets Top Iraqi Officials During Unannounced Visit to Baghdad VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with top Iraqi officials Wednesday during an unannounced visit to Baghdad.
• Waters Off Syrian Coast Closed Off for Russian Navy Missile Drills Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Russia maintains a naval presence off the Syrian coast, consisting of about ten vessels of various classes, including warships and submarines which have been used to rain precision Kalibr cruise missiles down on terrorist targets in the Arab Republic.
• Scottish yard awarded HMS Queen Elizabeth contract UK MOD 09 Jan 2019 -- Babcock's Rosyth dockyard has been awarded a contract to carry out the first planned dry-dock maintenance of Britain's largest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
• British Base in Southeast Asia Would Antagonize China VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- A British amphibious warfare ship passed through the South China Sea in August and China, Asia's strongest military power with a claim to almost the whole waterway, expelled it. Now the European country with a once powerful colonial foothold in Asia wants to set up a new base in the region, according to news reports citing the British defense secretary.
• China's ship-killer missiles mobilized to Northwest China plateau Global Times 09 Jan 2019 -- China's far-reaching, anti-ship ballistic missile the DF-26 has been mobilized to Northwest China's plateau and desert areas, reported China's national broadcaster on Tuesday after a US warship trespassed into China's territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Monday.
• PLA trains super soldiers with futuristic weapons People's Daily 09 Jan 2019 -- Equipped with futuristic individual combat weapons like grenade-launching assault rifles, corner shot pistols and knife guns, the PLA special forces are aiming to build "super" soldiers capable of "1 vs 10" and to meet the requirements of the digitalization of modern warfare.
• China Expands Maritime Power in Southeast Asia, Docks Frigates in Cambodia Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Last month, Phnom Penh denied reports that China was planning to build a naval base in the country following media reports of Beijing actively lobbying the south Asian nation to set up a military facility in the country since 2017.
• French Air Force's Mirage 2000D Bomber Crashes in Eastern France – Reports Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- The Mirage 2000D tactical bomber of the French Air Force crashed in eastern France on Wednesday after disappearing from radars, the debris of the aircraft have been already found, France 3 reported.
• Indian Firm Signs $110 Mln Contract for Production of Russian ATGM for Army Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Russia and India had signed a $225 million contract to supply about 10,000 Konkurs anti-tank missiles to the Indian Armed Forces in 2012. Konkurs are partially produced in India under Russian license.
• India to Receive Russia's S-400 Air Defense Systems Without Delays - Moscow Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- India will receive S-400 air defense systems within the timeframe agreed under contract with Russia, without delays, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Wednesday.
• Iran's defensive authority Known to friends, enemies IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- Secretary of the Expediency Council says today missile and defense achievements of Iran are acknowledged by friends and enemies.
• FM Zarif says Iran to continue aerospace program despite US warnings Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran will continue with its aerospace program despite US warnings, stressing there is no international law banning such a program.
• Japan to Buy Uninhabited Island for Carrier Aircraft Drills With US – Report Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Mage Island is located 400 kilometres (248 miles) from US-run Iwakuni Air Force Base in the south-east of Honshu Island, where about 60 US carrier-capable aircraft were earlier deployed.
• Military lays out drill plan for 2019 CNA 09 Jan 2019 -- Taiwan military on Wednesday made public its annual major drill plans for 2019 to boost its combat readiness a week after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) reasserted China's right to use force against Taiwan.
• Trump Advisor Bolton Says Groundwork Being Laid for Anti-Iranian 'Arab NATO' Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Last month, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said that Gulf states were continuing negotiations with Washington on the creation of a regional security alliance directed against Iran, despite earlier fears that the proposed pact may have been scrapped after the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in October.
• Remarks to Traveling Press US Dept. of State 09 Jan 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 09, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 9 January 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Jan 2019
• Beijing to Beef Up Defence if Its Islands in S China Sea Threatened - Officer Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Beijing is already in control of the vast majority of the islands and shoals in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. US Vice President Mike Pence insists that the disputed South China Sea area is not the domain of any one country.
• 'We cannot lose momentum' on the road to peace in Yemen, UN envoy warns UN News 09 Jan 2019 -- "The difficult part" of reaching a lasting political settlement in Yemen "is still ahead of us" said the UN Special Envoy on Wednesday, urging the Security Council to support the "speedy implementation" of the fragile ceasefire agreed in and around the crucial port city of Hudaydah, at breakthrough talks in Sweden last month.
• UN urges deploying truce monitors to Yemen IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the UNSC to confirm deployment of 75 truce monitors to Al-Hudaydah, Yemen, for six months, British media reported.
• UN envoy says 'substantial progress' needed to end Yemen war Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths says "substantial progress" would be needed before more talks can be held to build on a ceasefire recently agreed by the warring parties in Sweden and to reach a final deal to end the war.
• Yemeni Warring Parties Largely Adhering to Al Hodeidah Ceasefire – UN Spokesman Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Both sides to the conflict in Yemen are mostly adhering to the ceasefire agreed in Stockholm last month, United Nations Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
• UN Envoy: Yemen Port Cease-fire Largely Holding VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- The U.N. special envoy for Yemen said Wednesday that a cease-fire for the crucial port city of Hodeida is largely holding, but more progress needs to be made before a second round of peace talks can take place.
• Iran calls for US' rapid withdrawal from Syria IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday called for rapid withdrawal of the US forces from Syria.
• Turkey calls for joint cooperation with Iran, Russia on US forces' pullout from Syria Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for joint control with Russia and Iran of US troops' withdrawal from Syria, saying Washington is facing "certain difficulties" with the planned exit.
• Turkey calls for joint cooperation with Iran, Russia on US forces' pullout from Syria Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Syria's National Security chief Major General Ali Mamlouk has reportedly paid a visit to Saudi Arabia, amid promising signs that the incumbent Damascus government led by President Bashar al-Assad is being admitted back into the Arab world after nearly eight years of foreign-sponsored militancy.
• Trump's Syria Pull-Out: US and Turkey on Thin Ice Over Kurds… Again Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- It seems that the recent diplomatic row between Washington and Ankara may cast a shadow on the US withdrawal from Syria as the Turkish government is not inclined to ensure the safety of Syrian Kurdish militias and fulfil National Security Adviser John Bolton's conditions.
• Syrian Gov't 'Activates' Contacts With Kurds 'in Light of Turkish Intervention' Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara was ready to launch a military operation against the YPG if the United States did not compel them to abandon territory they had taken to the west of the Euphrates River.
• Turkey Calls for Joint Control With Russia and Iran of US Exit From Syria Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Russia, Turkey and Iran have been the guarantors of the ceasefire regime in Syria, with the presidents of the countries being heavily engaged in negotiations on the peace process in the war-torn Arab state.
• Moscow: Japan's Claims on Peace Treaty With Russia Distort Previous Arrangements Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Last week, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Tokyo had no plans to displace Russian residents from the Kuril Islands if Russia transfers the territory as a result of talks.
• Somalia: UN congratulates Puntland region's newly-elected President UN News 09 Jan 2019 -- The UN's Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, on Wednesday congratulated the newly-elected president of Puntland, Somalia's semi-autonomous region in the country's north east.
• Amid troop build-up in Rohingya's home state, UN appeals to Myanmar for peaceful solution UN News 09 Jan 2019 -- Major fighting in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state has so far been avoided following clashes between armed separatists and national security forces who are increasing troop numbers there, a top UN humanitarian official there said on Wednesday.

News Reports

• Manafort Allegedly Shared Polling Data With Russian Operative RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- A new U.S. court filing shows that President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman shared polling data during the 2016 presidential campaign with a Russian-Ukrainian man whom U.S. intelligence suspects of having ties to Russian intelligence.
• 3 Facts About the US Border We Didn't Hear in Trump's Speech VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- Here are three facts about the U.S. southern border with Mexico that Americans didn't hear Tuesday night from U.S. President Donald Trump during his Oval Office address, and why they matter when discussing the issue.
• Remarks by Vice President Pence After Meeting with Congressional Leadership on Border Security The White House 09 Jan 2019
• Emergency declaration in US for Trump's border wall still on table: White House Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- US President Donald Trump may still declare a national emergency in the country to go solo in building a wall on the southern border without a green light from Congress, the White House says.
• US government's assessments contradict Trump's border security claim Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- The US government's assessments contradict President Donald Trump's claim that terrorists enter the country through its border with Mexico.
• Trump reiterates call for border wall funding amid government shutdown Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has described the situation along the country's border with Mexico as a "growing crisis," reiterating his call for funding a wall that he claimed was "absolutely critical to border security."
• No Sign of Compromise on Wall at US-Mexico Border VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and congressional leaders are meeting again Wednesday, but there were no signs they were ready to compromise over Trump's demand for funding for construction of a barrier wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, a dispute that has led to a 19-day partial government shutdown.
• Global Certainty of Future Cyberattacks Growing VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- Cyberattacks on elections, public infrastructure and national security are increasingly being seen as the new normal, according to a global survey on cybersecurity.
• House Democrats Demand Briefing On Russia Sanctions Move RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Seven House committee leaders have called on U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to outline the reasons why the United States is easing sanctions on entities connected to Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska.
• Kremlin Says 'Understanding' Reached On Doping Data For WADA RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- The Kremlin says Russia and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have reached an understanding on the handover of crucial data from the former Moscow anti-doping laboratory.
• Blacklisted Russian Space Chief Says 'Victim' Of Trump-Congress Rivalry RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- The head of Russia's Roskosmos space agency, an official who has been targeted by U.S. and European Union sanctions, has criticized President Donald Trump and U.S. lawmakers over the cancellation of his planned visit to NASA facilities in the United States.
• Kremlin Denies Using Detained Ex-U.S. Marine As A 'Pawn' RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Russia has rejected a British suggestion that it might use a former U.S. Marine detained last month in Russia on espionage charges as a pawn in a diplomatic game, saying that Moscow reserves the right to conduct counterintelligence activities.
• Kremlin Dismisses Claims Detained American Pawn in Diplomatic Game VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- Fears are mounting for Paul Whelan, the former U.S. marine seized last month in a Moscow hotel after being accused of espionage. Western intelligence officers and analysts fear he may remain in detention in Russia for a long time and are casting doubt on the likelihood of a spy exchange.
• S. Korea to offer antiviral medication to DPRK in humanitarian aid People's Daily 09 Jan 2019 -- South Korea decided Tuesday to offer about 200,000 doses of Tamiflu antiviral medication to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in humanitarian aid.
• S.Korea welcomes DPRK leader's visit to China People's Daily 09 Jan 2019 -- South Korea's presidential Blue House on Tuesday welcomed the visit by Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to China, as it was anticipated to contribute to building peace on the Korean Peninsula.
• Election of Deputies to SPA to Be Called in DPRK KCNA 09 Jan 2019 -- The Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the DPRK decided to call an election of deputies to the 14th SPA on March 10, Juche 108 (2019), according to Article 90 of the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK.
• Kim Jong Un Leaves Beijing after Brief Visit VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is headed back home after a two-day visit to China and talks with President Xi Jinping.
• North Korea leader ends China visit as Trump summit looms Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Kim Jong-un's train has left Beijing after the North Korean leader visited China on a trip ahead of his expected summit with US President Donald Trump.
• Iran to Review Security Cooperation With EU Following New Sanctions - Reports Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- The Iranian government is willing to review intelligence and security cooperation with European countries in light of the European Union adding two Iranian individuals and one entity to its terrorist list and freezing their assets as a result, IRNA reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed diplomatic official.
• Supreme Leader bewares against enemies' deceptions IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei bewared against the enemies' deceptions and said their attempts to reduce the revolutionary spirit of people should not be neglected.
• Veep: Iran will continue to protect JCPOA IRNA 09 Jan 2019 -- Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri reiterated Iran's absolute determination to protect the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and said Tehran will contine to defend it.
• India begins settling Iran oil debt after US sanctions Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Indian refiners have begun clearing their oil debt to Iran under a new payment mechanism which they put in place after the US reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
• US faces unprecedented defeat in Iran sanctions campaign: Ayatollah Khamenei Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned the United States of an "unprecedented defeat" in its campaign of sanctions and pressure against the Iranian nation.
• 'EU harbors terrorists, blacklists terror-fighting Iran' Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has condemned a decision by the European Union to place two Iranian individuals and a department of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry on its "terror" list over what it calls links to "foiled attacks" in Europe.
• US sanctions are surprise boon to Iran's steel exports Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Iran's dramatic currency depreciation has had beneficiaries, foremost in its burgeoning steel industry which has seen exports remain steady despite the new US sanctions.
• Iran Supreme Leader Calls U.S. Officials 'First-Class Idiots' RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has mocked U.S. officials, calling them "first-class idiots."
• EU Names Two Iranian Officials Blacklisted For Suspected Roles In Assassination Plots RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- The European Union has named two Iranian officials who, along with Iran's intelligence services, have been targeted by fresh sanctions for their suspected involvement in assassination plots in France, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
• Iran Vows Response to EU's Sanctions Over Alleged Terror Attack Plot Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- The Council of the EU has added two Iranian individuals and one entity to a terrorist list over alleged recent foiled attacks in Europe, according to a press release issued Wednesday.Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi, meanwhile, announced that Tehran will act reciprocally in its relations with the EU.
• Ex-Israeli minister to get 11 years in prison over spying for Iran Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- Under a plea bargain with prosecutors, ex-Israeli energy minister Gonen Segev accused of spying for Iran has agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges against him and serve a prison term of over a decade.
• Israeli Ex-Minister Accused of Spying for Iran to Be Jailed - Ministry Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- In June 2018, Israeli prosecutors charged Gonen Segev, a former cabinet minister, with spying for Tehran, Tel Aviv's most powerful rival in the region. The Israeli security agency claimed that Segev had made contacts with Iranian officials in the Islamic Republic's embassy in Nigeria.
• Astana Says China Allowing 2,000 Ethnic Kazakhs To Leave Xinjiang RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry says China is allowing more than 2,000 ethnic Kazakhs to renounce their Chinese citizenship and leave the country.
• Enforced Patriotism Tests Hong Kong Opposition VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- The Hong Kong legislature has issued the draft bill legislation that calls for stiff punishments for anyone who fails to stand or "display any behavior that is disrespectful" to the Chinese national anthem. Infractions could draw a HK$50,000 fine (nearly $6400 US) and up to three years in prison. But the legislation isn't bringing out the patriot in everyone.
• Retired US General Resigns as Trump Envoy to Resolve Qatar Dispute - Reports Sputnik 09 Jan 2019 -- Retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, President Donald Trump's handpicked envoy to try and resolve disputes between Qatar and a Saudi-led coalition of other Persian Gulf and Arab states has resigned, US media reports said on Tuesday.
• UK Labour urges early elections if Brexit deal is rejected Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- The leader of UK's opposition Labour Party has called on Prime Minister Theresa May to call general elections if she fails to go through the parliament next week with her controversial European Union withdrawal agreement.
• May suffers defeat over no-deal Brexit tax powers Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- The government of British Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another crushing defeat in parliament after lawmakers voted to block possible preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
• Britain Will no Longer be Bound by EU Sanctions After Brexit VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- With the March deadline approaching for Britain to depart the European Union, there are concerns that Britain's exit could undermine Western sanctions against countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea. Analysts note that Britain has been influential in persuading the EU to take action, saying there are risks Britain will seek a different path as it carves out new economic and strategic partnerships.
• In Sudan, another day of demos for, against Bashir Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan has said he will stay in power amid demonstrations by thousands of people against and in support of the government.
• US special envoy working on Persian Gulf dispute steps down Press TV 09 Jan 2019 -- A US special envoy tasked with resolving the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and the Riyadh regime and a number of its allies has quit his post, citing "unwillingness" of regional leaders to engage in dialogue.
• Macedonian PM Urges Parliament To Back Name Change RFE/RL 09 Jan 2019 -- Macedonian lawmakers have begun a crucial debate on renaming the country North Macedonia in order to resolve a decades-long dispute with neighboring Greece and open the way for NATO and European Union membership.
• Embassy Warns Americans to Leave Congo VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- The U.S. embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo is warning Americans to leave the country, as Congolese officials prepare to announce election results.
• South Africa's ANC Facing Factionalism Ahead of Vote VOA 09 Jan 2019 -- South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) celebrated its anniversary this week by counting the party's successes in the past 25 years. But the ANC is battling with factionalism and corruption allegations against senior party members, which could affect its standing in upcoming May national elections.