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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan Official, U.S. Publicly Clash Over Khalilzad's Conduct In Taliban Peace Talks RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- A senior Afghan official accused the U.S. special envoy to his country, Zalmay Khalilzad, of "delegitimizing" the Kabul government by excluding it from peace negotiations with the Taliban and acting like a "viceroy."
• Rival Police Clash In North Afghan City In Spat Between President, Ex-Governor RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- Gunfire has broken out in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif between police loyal to a powerful former provincial governor and Interior Ministry forces sent to support a new police chief who was appointed by President Ashraf Ghani.
• US airstrike kills 5 Afghan troopers Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- At least five Afghan soldiers have been killed and nearly a dozen more wounded in a US airstrike in Afghanistan's central province of Uruzgan, the Afghan Ministry of Defense says, blaming a "lack of proper coordination" between the sides for the incident.
• Airstrikes kill over 30 people in Afghan province of Ghazni Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- A series of airstrikes have claimed the lives of more than 30 people in southeast Afghanistan amid a spike in civilian deaths from aerial attacks.
• Taliban leader 'optimistic' about dialogue With US after marathon talks in Doha Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- The Taliban political chief says he is optimistic about progress made during the most recent round of peace talks between the United States and the group's negotiators in the Qatari capital of Doha.
• F-16s provide essential support to US, coalition forces in Afghanistan US Air Force 14 Mar 2019 -- During a recent raid on a terrorist stronghold in a remote Afghan village, U.S. ground forces came under enemy fire. They called for close air support, and shortly thereafter, an F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped munitions to eliminate the threat.
• Talks With Taliban Expose Rift Between Washington, Kabul VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Several U.S. officials have touted U.S.-Taliban talks as the best chance in decades to bring peace to Afghanistan, but key Afghan officials' comments suggest the talks are instead widening a rift between Washington and Kabul.
• Taliban: Talks With US Set Stage for Ending Afghan War VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- A top Taliban leader says their recent negotiations with the United States have achieved "great progress" and he is "very hopeful" the stage is set for ending the 18-year-old war in Afghanistan.
• US Military Attacks al-Shabab for Third Time This Week VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. military has carried out three airstrikes against al-Shabab militants in Somalia in less than a week, continuing a rapid pace that could triple last year's record-setting strike numbers.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Defense Secretary: US Won't Charge Nations 'Cost Plus 50' for Bases VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan has flatly denied that the United States would ask nations that house U.S. troops to pay the full cost of U.S. service members deployed on their territory, plus 50 percent more for the privilege of American defense.
• 2020 Budget Focuses on High-End Threats, DOD Leaders Say DoD News 14 Mar 2019 -- The $718 billion defense budget request for fiscal year 2020 addresses growing threats from Russia and China, the Defense Department's top leaders told Congress today.
• DOD's Artificial Intelligence Initiatives Outlined Before Senate DoD News 14 Mar 2019 -- Three Defense Department research entities outlined the department's artificial intelligence initiatives in the face of great power competition March 12 during a hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee here.
• Army leaders discuss benefits, challenges with AI systems Army News 14 Mar 2019 -- Only months old, the Army Artificial Intelligence Task Force has already started pilot projects to find ways to speed up security clearances and analyze imagery for military activity.
• US and Philippine Navies Conduct Cooperative Deployment as Flagship Arrives in Manila NNS 14 Mar 2019 -- U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff arrived in Manila, Mar. 13, for the ship's first port visit to the Philippines in three years.
• Keel Laid on Future USS Bougainville NNS 14 Mar 2019 -- The keel laying and authentication ceremony for the future USS Bougainville (LHA 8) was held at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Pascagoula shipyard, March 14.
• USS Florida Arrives in Souda Bay, Greece NNS 14 Mar 2019 -- The Ohio-class cruise missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrived in Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, for a scheduled port visit, March 14, 2019.
• Pacific Fleet Commander Emphasizes Readiness for High-End Warfighting During Visit with San Diego Commands NNS 14 Mar 2019 -- Navy leaders up and down the chain of command need to prepare their crews to fight and win in blue-water, fleet-on-fleet combat. That was the message Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivered during a series of discussions with waterfront leaders in San Diego, March 11-13.
• Navy Chooses Port Everglades for Commissioning of the Future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) NNS 14 Mar 2019 -- Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer has approved Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as the site for the commissioning of the future guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117). The event will take place July 27.
• Pentagon Awards Boeing Contract to Integrate New Cruise Missile on B-52 Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a $250 million contract to integrate the new Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile weapon system into the B-52H bomber, the Department of Defense said in a press release.
• Challenging Russian Information Operations Requires Whole-of-Government Approach DoD News 14 Mar 2019 -- When it comes to competition "below the level of armed conflict," such as information operations meant to influence adversaries, the U.S. can do more – and has the capacity to do so, the commander of U.S. European Command said yesterday.
• US to test banned missiles after leaving INF treaty with Russia in August Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- The United States is preparing to test two ground-launched missiles that it has been developing for more than 30 years in August, when it is expected to abandon a treaty with Russia that bans the use of such weapons.
• Pentagon Planning To Test Long-Banned Missiles After INF Pullout RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- The Pentagon plans this summer to test a ground-launched cruise missile of the type that has been banned for three decades by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, U.S. news agencies report.
• US Gen. Sheds Light on Plans to Deploy Cruise Missiles in Europe Amid INF Exit Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The remarks come after the Hill reported on Wednesday that the US plans to test two missile systems banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US announced its decision to withdraw from later this year.
• US Plans to Test Missiles Banned by INF Treaty in 2019 - Report Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The test is scheduled for when Washington completes its Treaty withdrawal procedure. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced its decision to resume manufacturing parts for missiles that violate the treaty.
• NATO Military Committee Visits Pentagon, Discusses Alliance Strategy, Capabilities DoD News 14 Mar 2019 -- Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford welcomed the members of the NATO Military Committee to the Pentagon yesterday and offered to share with the alliance group the experiences of the U.S. in its development of the National Defense Strategy.
• Secretary General's Annual Report: "NATO: fit for the future" NATO 14 Mar 2019 -- On 14 March, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presented his Annual Report for 2018. The Report, he says, "shows that NATO continues to modernise".
• Defence Expenditure of NATO Countries (2011-2018) NATO 14 Mar 2019 -- NATO collects defence expenditure data from Allies on a regular basis and presents aggregates and subsets of this information. Each Ally's Ministry of Defence reports current and estimated future defence expenditure according to an agreed definition of defence expenditure.
• US Awards Northrop Grumman Contract to Install Missile Defence System in Poland Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman with a $349.4 million contract to provide Poland with its Integrated Air and Missile Defence Battle Command System, the Department of Defence said in a press release.
• US Army Inks $714Mln Contract for Poland Air Defence Controls - Northrop Grumman Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- A $714 million US Army contract aims to produce a ground-based battle command system in Poland for an advanced air- and missile-defence network (IBCS), Northrop Grumman announced in a press release on Thursday.
• Defence Secretary sets out ambitious Defence Prosperity Programme UK MOD 14 Mar 2019 -- Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has reaffirmed his commitment to growing Defence's contribution to UK economic growth.
• China Now World's Top Exporter of Combat Drones Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Improvements in Chinese military technology in recent years have allowed the country to become the largest exporter of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), according to a Monday report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
• India Conducts Twin Tests of Fire & Forget Anti-Tank Missile Near Pak Border Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Earlier this week, Indian defence scientists had successfully tested guided a Pinaka rocket, a weapon system designed to conduct precise strikes at distances of up to 90 kilometres.
• IRGC owns largest assault bomber drone IRNA 14 Mar 2019 -- A large scale military maneuver of assault- combat drones of Islamic Revolution Guardian Corps (IRGC) Airspace Forces dubbed as;' Till Beit-ul-Moqqadas 1' held in Persian Gulf.
• Iran's IRGC holds massive drone drills in Persian Gulf region Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) holds offensive-combat drone exercises in the Persian Gulf region, involving dozens of RQ-170 stealth unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Tehran has manufactured based on a model of a US Sentinel drone it captured unharmed in 2011.
• IRGC Holds Massive Drone Drills in Persian Gulf - Reports Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted on Thursday massive exercises, involving combat drones flying over the Persian Gulf waters, Mehr News Agency reported.
• Turkish Defence Minister DISCLOSES F-35 Delivery Date as Pentagon Urges Freeze Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Earlier, amid tensions over Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, a Pentagon spokesperson warned that there would be "grave consequences" for the Turkish-US defence relationship if the S-400 deliveries went through.
• Department Press Briefing - March 14, 2019 US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2019

Defense Industry

• Contracts for March 14, 2019
• IBCS to provide leap-ahead capabilities for Poland's national air and missile defense program while increasing NATO security efforts Northrop Grumman 14 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a $713 million contract for the production of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) for the first phase of Poland's WISŁA air and missile defense program.

Other Conflicts

• 14 March 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Mar 2019
• Service and Sacrifice: Guinean peacekeepers make their mark in Mali UN News 14 Mar 2019 -- As the sun rises over Mali's vast desert, a group of 20 peacekeepers prepare their equipment and line up to receive instructions before heading out for their first patrol of the day on one of the most dangerous roads in the region.
• US Air Force's B-52 Bombers Patrol South China Sea for Second Time in March Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Two American B-52 bombers flew over the South China Sea for the second time in ten days, the US Air Force's Pacific Command said in a statement.
• U.S. Humanitarian Assistance in Response to the Syria Crisis US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2019 -- Today at the Third Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," the United States announced more than $397 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria as part of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for 2019-2020.
• Escalation of Attacks Against Idlib, Syria US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2019 -- The United States views with grave concern escalating violence in recent days in Idlib and neighboring areas prompted by Russian and Assad regime airstrikes and artillery.
• Additional Funding for the Syrian Civil Defense and UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2019 -- At the direction of the President, subject to congressional approval, the United States intends to provide $5 million for the continuation of the vital, life-saving operations of the White Helmets in Syria and in support of the UN's International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) which is charged with assisting the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under International Law committed in Syria since March 2011.
• UN welcomes 'record' Brussels conference pledge of nearly $7 billion to support Syrians UN News 14 Mar 2019 -- Foreign ministers from more than 50 countries gathered on Thursday at a joint European Union-UN pledging conference, and pledged to provide a record $6.97 billion, to support millions of Syrians in need both inside the country, and sheltering in host communities beyond its borders.
• Another Mass Surrender of IS Fighters as US-Backed Forces Advance VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- U.S.-backed forces battling the last remnant of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate penetrated deeper into the terror group's enclave Thursday, resulting in the second mass surrender in almost as many days.
• Militants Violate Ceasefire in Four Syrian Provinces - Russian MoD Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Militants breached the truce regime in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib and Latakia over the past 24 hours, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said Wednesday, stressing that the militants also conducted an attack near a scientific research center in the west of the city of Aleppo.
• India, Pakistan Officials Hold Talks On 'Friendship' Border Crossing RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- Pakistani and Indian officials say they have held "cordial" discussions on the opening of a visa-free border crossing for Sikh pilgrims from India travelling to visit one of their holiest shrines located in Pakistan.
• New Delhi Disappointed as China Blocks Bid to Blacklist Militant Leader VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- India has expressed disappointment that a measure by the U.N. Security Council to name the head of the Islamic militant group, Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) as a global terrorist, has been blocked by China. The measure was proposed after India and Pakistan came to the brink of war last month following a suicide attack in Indian Kashmir for which the group claimed responsibility.
• China Prevents UN Blacklisting Of Pakistani JeM Leader RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- China has blocked a bid to designate as a terrorist the leader of the group behind an attack last month that dramatically escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
• Gaza rockets land in Tel Aviv after evading Israel's Iron Dome missile system Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- At least two rockets launched from the besieged Gaza Strip have landed in the Israeli capital Tel Aviv, bypassing the Iron Dome missile system to mark yet another embarrassing defeat for one of the world's most expensive military forces.
• Missiles Fired Toward Tel Aviv First Time Since 2014 Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv for the first time since summer of 2014, that it had registered launches of two rockets from the Gaza Strip.
• Israel Strikes Back After 2 Rockets Launched at Tel Aviv VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Israeli rockets struck what the army calls "terror targets" in Gaza overnight Thursday, hours after two rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv.
• Aliyev Rejects Armenian Proposal To Include Karabakh Officials In Peace Talks RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has rejected an Armenian proposal on a change to the talks format on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

News Reports

• US Diplomats Pack Up and Leave Venezuela VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that all U.S. diplomats assigned to Venezuela have departed, in an exit the State Department calls "temporary."
• Temporary Departure of U.S. Diplomatic Personnel From Venezuela US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2019
• Venezuela says US behind 'terrorist' attack on oil facility Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- Venezuela says the US and the country's Washington-backed opposition are behind a "terrorist attack" on an oil facility in the crisis-hit Latin American state.
• Anti-govt. protesters rally in Sudan's capital after Bashir promises dialogue Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- Hundreds of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of the Sudanese capital to voice their strong dissent against President Omar al-Bashir, demanding his immediate resignation.
• China offers help to restore power in Venezuela Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- China says it is ready to help crisis-hit Venezuela to restore power in the country, as the South American nation faces a crippling multi-day power blackout that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has blamed on the United States.
• OFAC Extends Expiration Date of General License Related to PDVH and CITGO US Treasury 14 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today extended the expiration date of a general license related to PDV Holding, Inc. (PDVH), and CITGO Holding, Inc.
• Venezuela to Kick Off Second Stage of Large-Scale Military Drills This Weekend Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday that the second stage of the country's military maneuvers would begin this weekend.
• US senators vote to terminate national emergency Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- In a fresh rebuke, the Republican-controlled US Senate has passed a proposal to terminate President Donald Trump's declaration of an emergency at the southern border.
• US Senate Passes Bill to End Trump's Border Emergency Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- Shortly before the vote, the US president tweeted that he would veto the legislation to end his national emergency declaration at the border if the bill passes the Senate.
• US Senate Rejects Trump's National Emergency Declaration VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Congress on Thursday formally rejected President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration to fund border wall construction, as the Senate voted 59 to 41 to disapprove the executive action, weeks after the House of Representatives did the same.
• US House calls on Russia probe to be made public Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's upcoming report on his investigation into Russia's alleged role in the 2016 US presidential election to be released to Congress and the public.
• U.S. Lawmakers Vote In Support Of Resolution Demanding Release Of Mueller Report RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- U.S. lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly in support of a resolution calling for any final report coming from the Russia investigation overseen by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to be released to Congress and the public.
• European Parliament Urges EU To Adopt Legislation Like Magnitsky Act RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- The European Parliament has overwhelmingly passed a resolution urging EU member states to adopt a sanctions framework similar to the Magnitsky Act in order to punish human rights offenders.
• Supreme Court upholds 14-month prison sentence against Chinese spy CNA 14 Mar 2019 -- Taiwan's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a high court ruling that sentenced convicted Chinese spy Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭) to 14 months in prison.
• Spokesman: US biggest violator of Iranians' human rights IRNA 14 Mar 2019 -- Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the US government is the biggest violator of Iranians' human rights because it has spared no efforts to impose illegal and unilateral sanctions.
• Iranian official rejects US secretary of state's 'fabricated' allegations Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- A senior Iranian official has dismissed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent claims about Iran's regional role as "fabricated," saying the United States practices fear-mongering in order to sell more arms to the countries in the region.
• Leader urges 'maximum mobilization' in face of enemy threats Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warns that the US and the Israeli regime have been doing all in their power to advance their hostile campaign against the Iranian nation, calling for "maximum mobilization" in the face of enemy threats.
• U.S. Looks To Cut Iran Oil Exports '20 Percent' To Below 1 Million Barrels A Day RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- The United States wants to slash Iran's crude-oil exports by some 20 percent beginning in May by demanding that importers reduce purchases or face U.S. sanctions, Reuters news agency reports.
• Banned! Thousands Of Iranian Actors, Filmmakers On Secret Blacklist RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- Thousands of Iranian filmmakers, actors, and other artists are on a secret government blacklist that bans them from working or having their work shown in public.
• China's top political advisory body concludes annual session, pooling consensus for development Global Times 14 Mar 2019 -- China's top political advisory body concluded its annual session Wednesday, building a broad consensus and unity for national development.
• China slams 'flawed' US human rights record Global Times 14 Mar 2019 -- China on Thursday released its latest report on the human rights situation in the US, calling the latter a self-styled "human rights defender" with a "flawed and lackluster" record.
• US Warns China's Detention of Uighurs to Counter Terrorism Will Backfire VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- A senior U.S. official has rejected China's claim that the mass internment of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China's Xinjiang region is part of a counter-terrorism program and says it will backfire. The United States co-hosted an event on the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council to put the spotlight on the dire situation of Xinjiang's ethnic minorities.
• EU Lawmakers Call On Kazakhstan To 'Stop Political Repression' RFE/RL 14 Mar 2019 -- European lawmakers have adopted a resolution urging Kazakhstan to "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms."
• US 'rights' report avoids linking MbS to Khashoggi murder despite CIA report Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- In its annual "human rights" report, the US administration attempts to whitewash the Saudi crown prince's role in the gruesome assassination of dissident Journalist Jamal Khashoggi despite a CIA report blaming Mohammed bin Salman for the crime.
• DR Congo Ebola centre attacks could force retreat against the deadly disease, warns UN health chief UN News 14 Mar 2019 -- Attacks on Ebola treatment centres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), risk reversing the gains made during the current outbreak in the north-east of the country, the head of the UN health agency said on Thursday.
• WHO Aims to End DRC Ebola Outbreak in 6 Months VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) chief says the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can be brought to an end in six months, if everything goes as planned. Latest figures from the DRC Ministry of Health put the number of Ebola cases at 927, including 584 deaths.
• British Lawmakers to Seek 3-Month Brexit Delay VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- British lawmakers voted Thursday to seek a three-month delay in Britain's scheduled March 29 split from the 28-nation European Union after overwhelmingly voting against holding a new Brexit referendum.
• Brexit: What Now? VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Veteran Conservative lawmaker Nigel Evans has been in Britain's House of Commons for more than a quarter-of-a-century and, like most of his parliamentary colleagues, is stunned at the turn of Brexit events.
• Trump Jumps Again Into Brexit Debate VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- After telling reporters he would stay in his lane and avoid commenting on the contentious British exit from the European Union, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday immediately did just the opposite.
• UK parliament supports government bid to seek Brexit delay Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- Members of Parliament in Britain have allowed the government to seek a delay to its withdrawal from the European Union beyond the planned departure date of March 29.
• Corbyn calls on MPs to delay Brexit, take control after May's failure Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to delay the country's exit from the European Union and take control of the process, after Prime Minister Theresa May lost two key votes on her EU withdrawal plan and a possible 'no-deal' exit in the House of Commons.
• UK Lawmakers Overwhelmingly Back Brexit Delay, Rule Out Second Referendum Sputnik 14 Mar 2019 -- With slightly over two weeks left before the United Kingdom is scheduled to exit the EU on 29 March, British lawmakers are struggling to agree on a withdrawal plan, with parliamentarians voting on Thursday whether to ask Brussels to delay the departure.
• European Parliament votes to suspend accession talks with Turkey Press TV 14 Mar 2019 -- The European Parliament has voted to suspend negotiations between European governments and Turkey on Ankara's accession to the European Union (EU), citing a series of concerns, including alleged human rights violations.
• Make this the year of 'transformative solutions' to avert disastrous climate change: UN Deputy Chief UN News 14 Mar 2019 -- It is within our power to make 2019 the "year of transformative solutions" and "avoid the disastrous effects of climate change", which threaten ecosystems, the global economy, health and security, the UN Deputy Secretary-General told delegates gathered in Nairobi for the UN Environment Assembly, on Thursday.
• Sudan's Government Crackdown on Protest Stirs Concern VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Rights groups are voicing concerns about Sudan's violent action against anti-government protests, which have been sweeping the African nation since last December. The rights groups say the action has left at least 60 people dead and hundreds in jail.
• Angolans' Views Mixed on Efforts to Recover Suspect Funds VOA 14 Mar 2019 -- Lusia Bento Xicuba is one of thousands of street vendors in Praça da Madeira, an unlicensed market about a half-hour's drive from downtown Luanda.