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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US Mulling Additional Troop Deployments to Persian Gulf to 'Deter Threats' - Pentagon Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Last month, commander of Iran's Army Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi called on regional states to oppose the presence of foreign military forces in the Persian Gulf, arguing that they won't do any good for them.
• Pentagon Not Ruling Out Further Reduction of Troops in Syria - US Defence Secretary Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The Pentagon may further reduce the number of US troops in Syria if European allies contribute to the mission there, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said in an interview with Reuters that was published Thursday.
• Pentagon Denies Report Alleging Additional 14,000 US Troops to Middle East Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The Wall Street Journal broke the news earlier in the day, citing unnamed officials, that the Trump administration was sending dozens of ships to the Middle East, adding that the decision was allegedly expected to come by the end of this month.
• US not sending 14,000 troops to Mideast: Pentagon Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The Pentagon has denied a report concerning the expansion of US military presence in the Middle East.
• US may send 14k troops, dozens of ships to Middle East: Report Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The United States may be sending 14,000 troops and more naval ships to the Middle East, a report says.
• US Mulls Deploying Additional 14,000 Troops, More Ships, Military Hardware to Middle East - Report Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Additional forces could reportedly join some 14,000 US soldiers that have been sent to the region since May, when US intelligence analysts alleged a threat from Iran. The new US deployment may be a deterrent against possible retaliation by Tehran for mounting sanctions under Washington's ongoing campaign of economic pressure.
• No Plans to Leave Iraq, Defense Official Says DoD News 05 Dec 2019 -- The U.S. military presence in Iraq is predicated on permission to be there from the Iraqi government, and U.S. forces will remain so long as the Iraqi government agrees, the undersecretary of defense for policy said.
• US envoy to resume peace talks with Taliban in Qatar: State Department Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The US says its special representative for Afghanistan is set to restart talks with the Taliban militant group, a week after President Donald Trump paid a surprise visit to the war-torn country and hinted at a resumption of the negotiations in Qatar.
• ICC opens 3-day hearing on investigation into US war crimes in Afghanistan Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a three-day hearing in The Hague to overturn an April decision scrapping a proposed investigation into US war crimes in Afghanistan.
• Army announces upcoming 1st BCT, 10th Mountain Division unit rotation Army News 05 Dec 2019 -- The Department of the Army announced today the winter 2020 rotation to Afghanistan of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Drum, New York.
• Lawyer Says Afghan Courts Should Prosecute War Criminals, Not ICC RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- A lawyer representing Afghanistan has told the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges that the country opposes a proposed international investigation into possible war crimes and other abuses committed during the Afghan conflict, saying its own courts should be allowed to prosecute war criminals.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Army announces upcoming 2nd BCT, 1st Infantry Division unit rotation Army News 05 Dec 2019 -- The Department of the Army announced today the winter 2020 rotation to Korea of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
• Red Arrow Soldiers deployed in Ukraine for multinational mission Army News 05 Dec 2019 -- Earlier this month approximately 160 American Soldiers with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters company deployed to Ukraine as Task Force Juvigny and assumed responsibility of the Joint Multinational Training Group - Ukraine at the Combat Training Center - Yavoriv.
• U.S. Bolsters Indo-Pacific Alliances in Face of Threats DoD News 05 Dec 2019 -- A top Defense Department official said the U.S. and its allies are facing a number of global threats – from Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria and various terrorist groups.
• U.S., Ethiopian Defense Officials Meet at Pentagon DoD News 05 Dec 2019 -- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Pete Marocco and Ethiopian Defense Minister Lemma Megersa co-chaired the 9th annual U.S.-Ethiopia Bilateral Defense Committee meeting in Washington yesterday.
• Chief of Naval Operations Guidance to Fleet Includes Decisive Integrated Naval Power with Marine Corps USMC News 05 Dec 2019 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday released his initial guidance to the fleet, Dec. 4.
• Operation Buck Rogers USMC News 05 Dec 2019 -- Along with a base game warden, U.S. Marines launched an RQ-20 Puma unmanned aircraft system as part of Operation Buck Rogers on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, December 3, 2019.
• CNO Gilday Speaks at USNI's 2019 Defense Forum NNS 05 Dec 2019 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday spoke on a panel at the U.S. Naval Institute's 13th annual Defense Forum held at the Newseum, Dec. 5.
• USNS Salvor Rescues Beached Passenger Vessel Off Micronesian Coast NNS 05 Dec 2019 -- U.S. Navy divers and civilian mariners aboard the Military Sealift Command salvage ship USNS Salvor (ARS 52) rendered assistance to a Micronesian passenger ship that ran aground off the coast of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, during a storm, Dec. 1.
• Putin says US militarization of space can't go unchecked Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Russia has expressed concern about the growing militarization of space by the United States and its allies, warning that such hostile measures should be counterbalanced.
• Trump threatens trade action to spur NATO contributions Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has threatened to take action on trade with countries that he says are are not contributing enough to NATO.
• NATO Wants to Dominate Not Only in Euro-Atlantic Region but Also in Middle East - Lavrov Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- A two-day NATO summit dubbed "NATO Engages: Innovating the Alliance" kicked off in London earlier in the week to mark the 70th anniversary of the organisation.
• Russia ready to extend New START treaty by year-end: Putin Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country is ready to "immediately" extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty "without any preconditions" by the end of the year.
• Putin Says Russia Is Ready to Extend New START Treaty Without Conditions By Year-End Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The New START treaty between Russia and the US was signed in 2010 and expires in 2021. It regulates the number of nuclear warheads each of the countries can have.
• Targeting China cannot save NATO Global Times 05 Dec 2019 -- After the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Leaders Meeting ended in London on Wednesday, the leaders issued the London Declaration, in which it said, "China's growing influence and international policies present both opportunities and challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance." This is the first time that a NATO summit listed China as an independent topic and that China is involved in the joint declaration.
• Erdogan Says NATO Allies Must Back Turkey's Fight Against Terrorism RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that Ankara dropped its objection to a NATO plan to bolster the defense of Poland and the Baltic states, adding that it now expected the allies' support in its fight against terrorism.
• Turkey, US Will Continue Talks to Settle Disputes Over Ankara's S-400 Purchase - Erdogan Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Ankara and Washington will continue talks to settle disputes over Turkey's acquisition of Russia's S-400 missile systems, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, commenting on the results of the NATO leaders' summit in London from December 3-4.
• US Increases Pressure on Key Turkish State Bank VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- The fate of one of Turkey's largest state banks is increasingly entwined with the future of Turkish-U.S. relations. Halkbank, already on trial in federal court in New York, is now being targeted by Congress.
• NATO Must Respond to Ankara's S-400 Purchase, Find Way to Deploy US Systems in Turkey - German MP Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- NATO should respond to Ankara's purchasing of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems and manage to position US anti-missile systems in Turkey, German Member of Parliament Nils Schmid said.
• Iran shortens manufacturing cycles of its defense apparatus IRNA 05 Dec 2019 -- Iran's Defense Minister Major General Amir Hatami said on Thursday the ministry has successfully shortened the manufacturing cycles of defense equipment.
• Iran has achieved self-sufficiency in defending itself: Top general Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Iran's top military commander says the Islamic Republic has attained self-sufficiency in manufacturing military equipment and systems needed to defend its sovereignty.
• Europeans Scold Iran For Developing Nuclear-Capable Projectiles RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- France, Germany, and Britain have voiced concern to the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the international body's Security Council resolution.
• Britain, France, Germany claim in letter to UN chief Iran has 'nuclear-capable missiles' Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Having failed to fulfill their commitments to Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal, the European signatories are now accusing Tehran of possessing "nuclear-capable ballistic missiles," claiming its latest missile activities are "inconsistent" with a UN resolution that endorsed the accord.
• Zarif: EU letter to UNGA to cover up their incompetence regarding JCPOA IRNA 05 Dec 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on Thursday described EU letter to the UNGA as a cover up to hide their incompetence with regard to Iran's nuclear deal.
• Zarif: EU3's UN letter on Iran missiles aims to hide their 'miserable incompetence' Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says a letter written to the UN chief by three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is aimed at hiding their "miserable incompetence" in fulfilling their commitments under the accord.
• US Intelligence Claims Iran Secretly Storing Short-Range Ballistic Missiles in Iraq - Report Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Tehran has allegedly taken advantage of the ongoing unrest in the neighboring nation to stockpile its secret arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles, US intelligence and military officials claim.
• Experts See Possibility of Trump Slashing US Troops in South Korea VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- Experts no longer rule out the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump scaling back the American military presence on the Korean peninsula.
• US Analysts See Risks in Military Spending Showdown With Seoul VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- Washington-based Korea experts will be closely watching the next round of defense cost-sharing talks between the United States and South Korea, concerned that the strains being placed on the alliance could prove to be a windfall for America's adversaries.
• Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Israeli government signed a contract to acquire MADR radars Czech MOD 05 Dec 2019 -- On Thursday, December 5, an intergovernmental Czech-Israeli agreement on the acquisition of eight 3D mobile radars (MADR) was concluded in Prague. She was signed by Deputy Defense Minister for Armaments and Acquisitions Section Filip Riha and Retired Brigadier Yair Kulas, Director of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Agency, Directorate for International Defense Cooperation (SIBAT).
• Remarks by President Trump in Luncheon with the Permanent Representatives of the U.N. Security Council The White House 05 Dec 2019
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo And Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva At a Press Availability US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• Background Briefing With Senior State Department Officials US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2019

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 5, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 5 December 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Dec 2019
• Yemeni air defense forces shoot down third Saudi spy drone in less than 24 hours Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Yemeni forces have intercepted and shot down a third surveillance drone belonging to the Saudi military coalition, flying in the skies over the border of the southwestern Saudi region of Jizan.
• US Reportedly Finds 'Significant Cache' of Iranian Missile Parts Being Smuggled to Houthis by Boat Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Anonymous US officials reported the seizure of a "significant cache" of missile parts by a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman last week, with the weapons reportedly being linked to Iran and suspected of being smuggled to the Houthis in Yemen. The report comes amid backroom peace talks to end the war in Yemen.
• US forces transfer Daesh families from Syria to Iraq: SANA Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- US military forces have transported to safe sanctuaries hundreds of family members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists from Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah to neighboring Iraq over the past 24 hours, a local media report says.
• 2 Syrians killed, 6 injured as double bomb attack hits Ra's al-Ayn Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- At least two Syrian civilians have been killed and six others sustained injuries as a result of two bomb attacks in the northeastern province of Hasakah.
• Militant shelling kills 10, mostly children, in Syria's Aleppo: Russia Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Russia says terrorists have launched a mortar attack on Syria's northern Aleppo Province, killing 10 civilians, mostly children, and wounding over a dozen more.
• Two Mortars Land Inside Balad Air Base in Iraq - Reports Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Two mortars reportedly landed inside the Balad Air Base in Iraq late Thursday, reports have revealed. There are no indications of casualties presently.
• Libya's El Feel Oil Field Suspends Work Over Instability - National Oil Corporation Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Thursday that El Feel oil field in the country's southwest had been temporarily closed again due to the unstable security situation in the area.
• Tensions Between National Army And Mon Rebels Flare on Myanmar-Thai Border Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2019 -- Myanmar military officer held talks on Thursday with ethnic Mon rebels in a bid to ease tensions at a village on the country's border with Thailand, where more than 1,000 residents have sought shelter in monasteries and rubber plantations amid recent hostilities between the two sides, people with knowledge of the situation said.
• Ukraine To Issue Diplomatic Response Over Kazakh President's Denial Of Crimea's Annexation RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Ukraine has voiced concern over Kazakh President President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev's description of Russia's takeover of Crimea, when he said it wasn't an annexation.
• Tibetan Self-Immolator's Family Are Held by Police For Questioning Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2019 -- Police in western China's Sichuan province detained the family members of a young Tibetan who died in a self-immolation protest against Chinese rule last month and held them for questioning, a source close to the family says.
• Republican U.S. Senator Blocks Armenian Genocide Resolution RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (Republican-North Dakota) has blocked a resolution that would've officially recognized the killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century as genocide.

News Reports

• Pelosi Directs Democratic Leaders to Draft Articles of Impeachment Against Trump VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed Democratic leaders on Thursday to "proceed with articles of impeachment" against President Donald Trump, declaring that he has "abused the power of his office."
• Pelosi Asks U.S. Lawmakers To Proceed With Articles Of Impeachment Against Trump RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has instructed the legislative chamber's Judiciary Committee chairman to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his alleged pressuring of Ukraine to investigate a political rival.
• Speaker Pelosi Orders House Judiciary Panel to Draft Articles of Impeachment Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The statement by Pelosi marks another step in the Democrats' efforts to remove Donald Trump prior to the November 2020 election. The party is considering multiple articles of impeachment, including charges of abuse of power, bribery, and obstruction of Congress and justice.
• Ukrainian Lawmaker Says He Met Trump Lawyer Giuliani On Corruption RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach says he met with Rudy Giuliani to discuss the creation of an interparliamentary group to fight corruption and the misuse of U.S. funds by Kyiv.
• U.S. Prosecutors Question Second Ukrainian Naftogaz Executive In Giuliani Probe RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- U.S. federal prosecutors have interviewed a second executive at the Ukrainian state-owned Naftogaz energy giant as part of their investigation into the business dealings of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, suggesting the scope of their probe is widening.
• Top US Democratic lawmaker tells House to draft impeachment articles against Trump Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, the highest ranking Democrat in Congress, has instructed the House Judiciary Committee to draft articles of impeachment against Republican President Donald Trump.
• U.S. Sanctions, Indicts Hackers With Alleged Russian Intelligence Ties RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- The U.S. Justice Department on December 5 announced computer hacking and bank fraud charges against Russian national Maksim Yakubets, the alleged leader of a cybercriminal organization that has illicitly earned more than $100 million since 2016.
• Reward Offer for Information on Russian Cybercriminal Maksim Yakubets US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2019 -- The U.S. Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Russian cybercriminal Maksim Yakubets.
• Russian National Charged with Decade-Long Series of Hacking and Bank Fraud Offenses Resulting in Tens of Millions in Losses and Second Russian National Charged with Involvement in Deployment of "Bugat" Malware US Dept. of Justice 05 Dec 2019 -- The United States of America, through its Departments of Justice and State, and the United Kingdom, through its National Crime Agency (NCA), today announced the unsealing of criminal charges in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Lincoln, Nebraska, against Maksim V. Yakubets, aka online moniker, "aqua," 32, of Moscow, Russia, related to two separate international computer hacking and bank fraud schemes spanning from May 2009 to the present.
• Treasury Sanctions Evil Corp, the Russia-Based Cybercriminal Group Behind Dridex Malware US Treasury 05 Dec 2019 -- Today the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against Evil Corp, the Russia-based cybercriminal organization responsible for the development and distribution of the Dridex malware.
• US, UK Officials Announce Charges Against 2 Russian Hackers VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- U.S. and British law enforcement officials announced charges against two notorious Russian hackers, accusing them of engaging in a decade-long crime spree that resulted in tens of millions of dollars in losses to victims around the world.
• Russia Gives Bulgarian Diplomat 24 Hours To Leave In Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Russia says it is expelling a Bulgarian diplomat five weeks after Sofia declined a visa to the incoming Russian defense attache amid an espionage scandal.
• Russia Notifies Bulgarian Ambassador it is Declaring a Bulgarian Embassy Advisor Persona Non Grata Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- In October, a Russian diplomat was expelled from Bulgaria over allegedly spying for Moscow and collecting classified data.
• Russia Considers Claims of Being Uncooperative on Berlin Murder Probe Baseless - Lavrov Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- Russia considers claims on its lack of cooperation on the investigation into a killing of a Georgian national in Germany baseless, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
• First Vice-Foreign Minister of DPRK Choe Son Hui Makes Statement KCNA 05 Dec 2019 -- Choe Son Hui, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK released the following statement Thursday:
• US, North Korea Allude to War Ahead of Pyongyang's Deadline VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- The United States and North Korea are resorting to alluded threats of force ahead of Pyongyang's end-of-year deadline for progress with nuclear negotiations.
• North Korea warns against UN human rights meeting Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- North Korea has warned the United States against holding any United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the country's human rights situation.
• Special Representative for Iran and Senior Advisor to the Secretary Brian Hook US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2019 -- Special Briefing by Brian H. Hook, Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State
• U.S. Says Iran May Have Killed More Than 1,000 People In Recent Unrest RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Iranian security forces may have killed more than 1,000 people in response to recent protests over gasoline-price hikes, a senior U.S. State Department official said on December 5.
• US Official: Iran Protest Deaths May Have Topped 1,000 VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- A senior U.S. official said Thursday Iranian forces may have killed more than 1,000 people in three weeks of protests sparked by the government's sudden and dramatic increase in fuel prices.
• Russia Halts Work At Iran's Fordow Nuclear Facility RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Russian state nuclear company Rosatom has suspended work on modernizing a unit of Iran's Fordow nuclear complex due to an issue with uranium compatibility, Rosatom's nuclear fuel cycle unit TVEL said on December 5.
• HOPE initiative aimed at reducing regional tensions: Senior diplomat Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi says Tehran's proposed plan for ensuring security in the Persian Gulf aims to reduce tensions in the strategic region.
• Israel's Prime Minister Calls for More Action Against Iran VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for increased action against Iran, the country it considers its biggest enemy. The prime minister spoke Thursday amid reports that Iran has been secretly hiding ballistic missiles that can reach Israel and Iraq.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on December 5, 2019 PRC MofA 05 Dec 2019
• Hong Kong Lawmakers Fail to Impeach Leader Over Handling of Protests Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2019 -- A bid to impeach Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam in the city's legislature came to an end on Thursday, after it failed to win enough support from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
• HK police chief to pay courtesy call to Beijing Global Times 05 Dec 2019 -- Hong Kong Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung will travel to Beijing on Friday for an expected visit to the Ministry of Public Security and the State Council.
• Motion to unseat Lam blocked in HK LegCo Global Times 05 Dec 2019 -- A motion initiated by opposition camp lawmakers to remove Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam from office failed to pass through the Legislative Council on Thursday, and pro-establishment lawmakers noted that passing the motion could only bring more chaos.
• Commentary: Meddlesome Washington's malicious farce on Xinjiang People's Daily 05 Dec 2019 -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved an egregiously baseless and biased bill related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in yet another blatant attempt to use human rights as a pretext for interfering in China's internal affairs.
• China's Huawei Sues to Allow Rural Carriers to Buy its Equipment VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- Chinese telecom giant Huawei has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court to throw out a Trump administration rule that bans phone carriers in rural areas from using money from an $8.5 billion government fund to purchase Huawei's equipment.
• Huawei steps up legal battle Global Times 05 Dec 2019 -- Amid legal disputes and an escalated crackdown by Washington, Huawei has not stopped moving forward to defend its rights, a rational and legitimate way to win the battle against the US as well as the hearts of the public.
• China reiterates tariffs must be reduced for interim trade deal with US Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- China has once again warned the US that tariffs must be cut if Beijing and Washington are to reach an interim agreement on trade, amid growing uncertainty on when even a phase-one agreement can be reached.
• China gradually cleans up P2P lending businesses Global Times 05 Dec 2019 -- Southwest China's Sichuan Province became the country's latest province to ban all peer-to-peer lending (P2P) businesses amid regulators' tightened grip on the internet financial industry due to monetary risks.
• Chinese Telecoms Companies Confirm Mandatory Facial Recognition For New Numbers Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2019 -- Telecoms service providers in mainland China have confirmed to RFA that mandatory facial scans are now being implemented for any new customers, or people applying for a new phone number, after a new set of regulations came into effect at the beginning of this month.
• EU foreign and security policy highlights support for Taiwan CNA 05 Dec 2019 -- The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution on its annual foreign and security policy, part of which highlighted the European Union's (EU) support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and activities.
• Green Light for BRICS Satellite Amid Space Arms Race Fears Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The plan was first mooted by China to improve co-operation around natural disasters. But it took shape later when BRICS space agencies agreed to build a "virtual constellation of remote sensing satellites".
• Iraqis hold mass rally in Baghdad to back religious authority Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Iraqis have taken to the streets of the capital, Baghdad, in a show of support for the country's religious authority, who has demanded peaceful anti-government protesters distance themselves from saboteurs.
• Day Of Reckoning: As Pressure Mounts, Belarusians Balk At Prospect Of Russia Merger RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- His signature helped dissolve the Soviet Union - and he believes his native Belarus has relinquished much of the independence it gained as a result.
• Belarus's Lukashenka Touts Equal Partnership With Russia Ahead Of Meeting With Putin RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has reaffirmed his country's commitment to a strategic partnership with Russia, though there are no talks currently on establishing a joint parliament.
• Israeli attorney general indicts Netanyahu's lawyer for money laundering Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- The Israeli prosecutor's office has announced that it intends to file an indictment against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal lawyer for money laundering charges.
• Netanyahu's Top Aides Indicted on Corruption Charges in Submarine Affair Probe - Reports Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office on Thursday published charges in the large-scale corruption scheme, known as Case 3000, that involved bribes to Israeli officials for soliciting multi-million-dollar state contracts on nuclear submarines with German company Thyssenkrupp, media reported on Thursday.
• Saudi Aramco Reportedly Seeking War, Terror Attacks Insurance Sputnik 05 Dec 2019 -- In September, Yemen's Houthi militia claimed responsibility for two drone attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities that knocked out about half of Riyadh's daily oil production capability.
• Saudi Aramco Raises $25.6 Bln in Record-Breaking IPO Sputnik 06 Dec 2019 -- Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco on Thursday launched an initial public offering (IPO) with a record-breaking sum of $25.6 billion, surpassing the Chinese online trading giant Alibaba that raised $25 billion on Wall Street in 2014. The market launch put Aramco's total value at an estimated $1.7 trillion.
• Virginia Man Indicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 05 Dec 2019 -- The Department of Justice announced the indictment of Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, of Roanoke, Virginia, who has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Langhorne was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, on Nov. 15, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he has been ordered detained pending trial.
• Ally Of Ukrainian Ex-PM Sought Plan To Import U.S. Gas To Ukraine RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- A Texas-based firm was hired by a company linked to former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's political party to develop a plan to import U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Ukraine.
• New govt. to carry out essential reforms, fight corruption: Lebanese president Press TV 05 Dec 2019 -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun says carrying out essential reforms and fighting corruption in the country will be among the new government's top priorities.
• Cambodian Government Revokes Passports of 27 CNRP Members Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2019 -- Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked the passports of 27 members of the outlawed opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) who have fled the country to avoid a government crackdown, accusing the activists of involvement in a plot to topple Prime Minister Hun Sen.
• After More Than A Year Of Waiting, Bosnians Finally Have A New Prime Minister RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Almost 14 months after a general election, Bosnia-Herzegovina finally has a new prime minister.
• It's No 'Mini-Schengen,' But Balkan Scheme Could Still Abolish Nagging Barriers RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Dragan Stojsin has toiled for more than a decade with his eyes fixed firmly beyond the borders that arose after the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
• Azerbaijan's President Sets Snap Parliamentary Elections For February RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order setting parliamentary elections for February 9.
• South Sudan Creates Tribunal to Try Security Operatives VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- South Sudan's government has opened a special tribunal to try National Security Service (NSS) operatives accused of committing crimes.
• Uganda's Museveni Criticized for Leading March Against Corruption VOA 05 Dec 2019 -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday led hundreds of people in a march against corruption, calling corrupt people parasites who steal public wealth.