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News Reports

Current Operations

• Joint Chiefs Chairman: Defensive Measures Prevented Casualties in Iranian Attack DoD News 08 Jan 2020 -- Although Iranian missiles damaged equipment and infrastructure at U.S. and ally-occupied military installations in Iraq yesterday, training and defensive readiness paid off in no lives being lost, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
• Trump: No Casualties in Iranian Missile Attack, U.S. Won't Allow Nuclear Iran DoD News 08 Jan 2020 -- There were no American or Iraqi casualties as a result of the Iranian missile attacks on Al Asad Air Base and the city of Irbil in Iraq, President Donald J. Trump said today.
• Remarks by President Trump on Iran The White House 08 Jan 2020
• Trump's Options Limited in Slapping Iran With New 'Punishing' Sanctions VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States would immediately impose "punishing" additional sanctions on Iran, a day after Iran fired missiles on two Iraqi bases with American personnel in retaliation for the U.S. killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
• Trump: Iran 'Appears to Be Standing Down' VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- "Iran appears to be standing down," U.S. President Donald Trump said in address to the nation the morning after more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeted two Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops.
• Trump Says Iran Appears To Be 'Standing Down' After Missile Strikes RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran "appears to be standing down" after the country carried out a ballistic-missile attack on air bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq, while his defense chief gave a fuller description of the scale of the attack.
• Trump downplays Iran's missiles attack against U.S. forces in Iraq People's Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to downplay Iran's missile attack against U.S. forces in Iraq, while highlighting U.S. military strength at the same time.
• Trump says US will impose new sanctions against Iran after Tehran's retaliation Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- US President Donald Trump says his administration will impose new sanctions against Iran and will ask the NATO military alliance to get more involved in the Middle East following Iran's retaliation for the US assassination of a top Iranian general.
• Iran's missile attack on US bases presents Trump with his biggest crisis: CNN Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's missile attack on US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was in defiance of Trump's threats to Iran not to retaliate and presents him with the biggest crisis of his presidency to date, according to an editorial by CNN.
• Trump stumbling in public response to Soleimani's assassination Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- US President Donald Trump's public response to the American assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani has been chaotic and embarrassing, raising questions over the administration's preparation to deal with the crisis, according to US media reports.
• US National Security Council Meets to Discuss Iran Missile Attacks Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The US National Security Council met at the White House Tuesday shortly following a series of strikes against the Ayn al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq that were launched from Iran.
• After The Missile Attack, Is Iran Done With Its Retaliation? RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's direct retaliation for the January 3 U.S. assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani raises the stakes in the escalating conflict between Tehran and Washington but puts the ball back in the Unites States' court, analysts say.
• Iran Army: Attack on US airbase a legitimate response IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Army said on Wednesday that the crushing response to the US terrorist act was the absolute right and legitimate expectation of the Islamic Ummah.
• Defense Minister: Iran to take further steps in proportion to US behavior IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami commented on the IRGC missile attack on the US base in Iraq, saying Iran's further acts will suit US behaviors.
• Iran hits US air base at hour Trump assassinated Gen. Soleimani IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that Iran hit the US Ain Assad Air Base in Iraq at 1:20 a.m. which is exactly the same time American forces assassinated its great commander Lieutenant-General Qasem Soleimani.
• Iran Armed Forces to give a more crushing response to any US wickedness IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said on Wednesday that Iran's response to any new wickedness from the US will be stronger and more crushing.
• Iran Gov't spox hails IRGC attack on US base IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Government spokesman Ali Rabiei in a message welcomed the recent attack conducted by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on the US Ain-Assad base in Al-Anbar, Iraq.
• Zarif terms Iran's attack to US base as "proportionate measure" IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Iran's missile attack to the US base in Iraq as a "proportionate measure" which came "in self-defense".
• Zarif: "Iran targets the base from which Soleimani was assassinated" ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian and foreign reporters that Iran targeted the air base from which US attacked Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iran sent its message to US, once the attack against Ain al-asad base took place.
• President Rouhani praises IRGC's decisive response to US ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's President described the Americans' martyring of the brave general of Islam Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and his companions in Iraq against all international regulations and norms and an international terrorism and crime, saying, "The Americans failed to achieve their goals by this criminal act".
• Iranian officials praise retaliatory attack against US' Ain al-asad base ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Several Iranian officials praised the retaliatory missile attack by Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against US' Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq.
• Any other aggression by US to receive crushing response: Iran's government spokesman ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's government spokesman, Ali Rabiei stressed on Wednesday that the country has never wanted war but any other aggression by the US will receive a crushing response.
• Iran FM: "We will defend ourselves against any aggression" ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed on Wednesday that Iran doesn't seek escalation or war but will defend itself against any aggression.
• IRGC hits US' Ain Al-Assad base in Iraq ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) responded to US' terrorist and criminal act in assassination of General Qassem Soleimani.
• Iran's FM says Tehran gives "proportionate" response to U.S. killing of Soleimani People's Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that Iran has given a "proportionate" response to the U.S. recent assassination of a top Iranian military leader.
• Iran launches missiles at U.S. airbases in Iraq in retaliation for killing of commander People's Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday targeted U.S. bases in Iraq including al-Asad and Harir Camp to the north of Erbil with a second wave of surface-to-surface missiles, semi-official Fars news agency reported.
• Zarif: Iran informed Iraqi govt. of missile attack on US bases Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister says Iran informed the Iraqi government of its retaliatory attack on US bases, reaffirming Tehran's respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab country.
• Iran's next responses will be proportionate to what US will do: Defense min. Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Hours after Iran's missile attack on American bases in Iraq, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says Tehran's next responses to the US assassination of a top Iranian general will be proportionate to what Washington will do.
• Zarif: Iran missile strikes legitimate self-defense against US terrorism Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran's missile attack on American bases in Iraq was an act of "legitimate self-defense" against "legitimate targets" in response to the terrorist act perpetrated by the US military and the targeted killing of prominent commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
• Rouhani: Ultimate revenge is to end US presence in region Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani says ending the United States' presence in the region will be the "ultimate revenge" to be exacted on Washington by the regional nations.
• Iran vows 'more crushing response' to any new US 'mischief' Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's armed forces chief of staff has warned that "any new mischief" by the United States will be met with "a more crushing and decisive response."
• IRGC: No missiles intercepted in attack on US bases, casualties reported Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says none of its missiles were intercepted during Wednesday's heavy strike that targeted two US bases inside Iraq to avenge the United States' assassination of its senior commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
• Iranian Army Demands US to Pull Out Its Troops From Middle East - Reports Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The reports come on the heels of Wednesday's Iranian missile attacks on two airbases in Iraq housing US troops in response to the killing of Iranian Quds General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad by the US.
• Iran's IRGC Threatens 'Great Satan' US With Crushing Response and Warns Against Any More Provocation Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian state TV said missile attacks on two airbases in Iraq housing US troops on Wednesday morning was a retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad by the US.
• Iran FM Zarif Says Tehran Took Proportionate Measures in Self-Defense Under UN Charter Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) attacked at least two US military facilities on late Tuesday, as part of its "hard revenge" for killing Iran's top military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani on 3 January.
• Second Wave of Missile Attacks Fired Against US Targets in Iraq - Iranian Media Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- A second series of rockets have been launched toward US targets in Iraq, shortly after dozens of missiles struck US military facilities in the area earlier Wednesday morning local time, according to Iranian media reports.
• Iran Attacks Iraqi Sites With U.S. Troops Hours After Funeral Of Slain Commander RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran on January 8 launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeting multiple locations in Iraq, including at least two military bases housing U.S. troops and coalition forces, the Pentagon said.
• 'Hard Revenge': Iran's IRGC Bombards Al-Asad, Other US Bases in Iraq Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Ayn al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, which houses a large US air base, has been struck with several rockets following a strike carried out by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as "revenge" for the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani, reported Press TV.
• Two Afghan Pilots Killed In Military Helicopter Crash RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Two Afghan Air Force pilots have been killed after their helicopter crashed in the western province of Farah, the Defense Ministry says.
• Two Killed as Military Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- This is the second accident related to military helicopters in Afghanistan this year. The country requested that India provide new parts and repairs for 11 grounded Mi-35s and seven transport aircraft in 2016.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in Pearl Harbor for Port Visit NNS 08 Jan 2020 -- The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), along with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Jan. 8.
• HH-60W enters soundproof chamber for defense systems testing US Air Force 08 Jan 2020 -- The Air Force's newest combat rescue helicopter was suspended in a soundproof chamber at the Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Systems facility in mid-November for defense system testing.
• Read-out of phone call between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US President Donald Trump NATO 08 Jan 2020 -- Press Release (2020) 002
  Issued on 08 Jan. 2020
• France Boosts Security of Troops in Iraq Amid US-Iran Tensions Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- France stepped up security measures to protect military personnel in Iraq after a US strike on an Iranian commander in Baghdad heightened tensions in the region, the French Defence Minister said Tuesday.
• Drones help PLA detect enemy behind walls Global Times 08 Jan 2020 -- Chinese troops are now equipped with portable reconnaissance drones, giving them a significant tactical advantage, including enabling them to shoot enemies behind walls.
• Chinese naval 33rd escort taskforce escorts eight Chinese fishing boats PLA Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- The guided-missile frigate Weifang (Hull 550) of the 33rd Chinese naval escort taskforce under the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy successfully escorted eight fishing boats of the China National Fisheries Corporation to the designated sea area in waters west of the Gulf of Aden at 4 p.m. on January 6, local time.
• China's Warships Hold Joint Naval Drill With Pakistan VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Pakistan and China have launched a major joint naval drill in the Arabian Sea to, as officials put it, deepen their security cooperation and consolidate an "all-weather strategic partnership" between the two allied nations.
• PLA Hong Kong Garrison starts 2020 training sessions Global Times 08 Jan 2020 -- Multiple units of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison conducted training sessions at the start of 2020, with the aim of having the capability to win wars.
• Indian, Chinese Commanders Discuss Issues of 'Strategic Ramifications' in Historic Meet Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The meeting between Indian and Chinese commanders came against the backdrop of a rising chorus of some kind of boundary agreement between the two Asian giants, who share a nearly 4,000 km contested boundary.
• India Seeks Local Production of 'Total Kill' Ammunition for Russian-Origin T-72, T-90 Battle Tanks Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Kinetic energy penetrator Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) is the primary ammunition of any armoured regiment. It can effectively engage targets at ranges even beyond 2,000 metres.
• Greek Prime Minister Says Country Wants to Join F-35 Jet Programme Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Greece is very interested in joining the US-led program to produce and procure the F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told US President Donald Trump.
• Japan's Plans to Send Patrol Ship to Gulf of Oman Unaffected by Iran-US Conflict - Gov't Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The confrontation between the United States and Iran does not affect Tokyo's plans to send a warship to patrol the Gulf of Oman, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.
• Iran Tensions May Prompt S. Korea to Rethink US-led Patrols VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- The escalating U.S.-Iran conflict is complicating South Korea's possible participation in a U.S.-led maritime coalition to protect international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Senior State Department Official On State Department 2019 Successes in the Western Hemisphere Region US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2020 -- Special Briefing

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 8, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 8 January 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jan 2020
• Indonesia: Jokowi Vows to Enforce Maritime Rights amid China Tensions Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo vowed on Wednesday to enforce his country's sovereignty over waters off the Natuna Islands as he visited the region amid diplomatic tensions with China over maritime rights.
• EU officials in Brussels talk Libya with prime minister of GNA Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- In Brussels, high-ranking European Union (EU) officials have met Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), amid tensions that escalated in the North African country following an offensive by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar against Tripoli.
• Russia, Turkey Call For Cease-Fire In Libya From January 12 RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- The Russian and Turkish presidents have called for a cease-fire in the conflict in Libya where Moscow and Ankara are backing opposing sides.
• Aid Group Ends Food Program in Myanmar's Rakhine, Citing Government Restrictions Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Amid fighting between Myanmar and Arakan Army (AA) forces in northern Rakhine state, the global humanitarian organization International Rescue Committee (IRC) said it has decided to end its food program in the state on account of the government's restrictions on staff movements.
• Bomb explosion in Somalia's Mogadishu kills 4 Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- A car bomb explosion at a checkpoint near the parliament in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, has left at least four people dead and 10 others injured, police say.
• 4 Killed in Mogadishu Suicide Blast VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Witnesses and medical services in the Somali capital say at least four people were killed and 15 others injured by a suicide car bomb Wednesday in the center of Mogadishu.
• 'Unprecedented terrorist violence' in West Africa, Sahel region UN News 08 Jan 2020 -- The top UN official in West Africa and the Sahel updated the Security Council on Wednesday, describing an "unprecedented" rise in terrorist violence across the region.
• Cameroon Anglophone Villagers Attack Separatist Camps Over Abuse VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Several communities in Cameroon's English-speaking regions have within a week attacked at least five camps belonging to separatist fighters, whom they accuse of destroying civilian homes, looting and killing innocent people. The angry civilians say they do not know who to trust, as they say the military commits similar crimes against them.

News Reports

• Venezuela's Maduro lashes out at US's Pompeo for backing opposition figure Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has slammed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a "failed clown," after the US official congratulated the country's opposition figure Juan Guaido for claiming reelection as "parliament speaker."
• Erdogan, Putin Launch TurkStream Pipeline, Talk Regional Crises RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have inaugurated a dual natural-gas pipeline that will open up a new export route for Russian gas into Turkey and Europe.
• Putin, Erdogan Urge Restraint in Iran Crisis, Cease-Fire in Libya VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint call for restraint by Washington and Tehran. The declaration made Wednesday in Istanbul is the latest sign of deepening regional cooperation by the leaders, symbolized by the inauguration of a Russian-Turkish gas pipeline.
• US Detains Two Chinese Nationals for Illegally Snapping Photos of US Naval Base Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Two Chinese students attending school in the US appeared in federal court on Monday after being arrested over the weekend for illegally photographing areas of Naval Air Station Key West in Florida.
• Cambodia Deports North Korean Workers, Shuts Down Businesses to Comply With Sanctions Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Authorities in Cambodia have arrested 16 North Koreans, shortly after announcing that they would shut down North Korean-owned businesses in an attempt to comply with U.N. sanctions, which stipulate that all North Koreans working abroad had to be repatriated by the end of last year.
• Experts: Pyongyang Unlikely to Welcome Moon's Call for Reviving Inter-Korea Ties VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Pyongyang is unlikely to respond positively to a call by South Korean President Moon Jae-in for reviving inter-Korean projects and efforts to invite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Seoul, experts say.
• Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran's retaliation against US only 'a slap' Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- "The talk of revenge and such debates are a different issue. For now, a slap was delivered on their face last night," Ayatollah Khamenei said in remarks broadcast live on national television Wednesday.
• Supreme Leader: Gen Soleimani was brave, prudent IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the slain General Soleimani was a brave in the battlefield and prudent man in the area of politics.
• Seditious American presence in the region must end: Iran's Supreme Leader ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran's early Wednesday missile attack on US bases in Iraq following the American assassination of a top general was just "a slap".
• Iran official reacts to Pompeo's claim IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- An advisor to President Hassan Rouhani in a tweet responded to the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claims.
• Iran stresses its right to self-defense against any threat IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi in a letter to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined Iran right to self-defense against any threat.
• Iran writes to UN: We're not after war but reserve right to self-defense against US threats Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran's United Nations mission draws the world body's attention to the US's repeated threats of using force against the Islamic Republic in the aftermath of Washington's assassination of senior Iranian commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
• A Look At Three Decades Of Iran's Secretive Quds Force RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Within hours of the U.S. air strike that killed Qasem Soleimani on January 3, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of a successor to head the Revolutionary Guards' secretive Quds Force.
• Attack on Iraqi military bases: Foreign Secretary's statement UK FCO 08 Jan 2020 -- The Foreign Secretary calls for urgent de-escalation following an attack on Iraqi military bases.
• Putin, Erdogan urge restraint, de-escalation of Iran-US tensions Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Russia and Turkey have called for restraint and de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States following the assassination of a senior Iranian military commander in Iraq by US army terrorists.
• Syria expresses full solidarity with Iran's right to respond to US aggression Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- Syria has expressed its "absolute solidarity" with Iran in the Islamic Republic's right to respond to US aggression in light of assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the second-in-command of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
• Erdogan on US-Iran Tension: Turkey Doesn't Want Region to Turn Into Area of Military Ops Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The Turkish president's comments follow Wednesday's airstrikes on American military bases in Iraq by Iran. The bases house US military personnel.
• Iran-US attack in Iraq: Guterres pledges 'active engagement' in further de-escalation efforts UN News 08 Jan 2020 -- In the wake of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on air bases which house US forces in Iraq, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday that he would "continue his active engagement" to de-escalate tensions and avert full-scale war.
• Amid Sharpening US-Iran Conflict, Europeans Try Diplomacy VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- European Union foreign ministers meet later this week on the escalating crisis between Iran and the United States, but EU executives already have set the tone, calling Wednesday for dialogue and salvaging the Iran nuclear deal.
• Governments Worldwide Urge US, Iran to Ease Tensions VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Governments and organizations are urging the United States and Iran to take steps to de-escalate tensions after a series of attacks on each other's interests in Iraq.
• In Sunni World, Many Applaud Soleimani Killing VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Security sources in the Sunni states mostly applaud the assassination of Quds Force leader Major General Qassem Soleimani of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, and his deputy in Baghdad, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah.
• Death Toll From Kerman Stampede at Soleimani's Funeral Reaches 56 – Reports Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- The number of people killed in a stampede at the funeral of Iran's commander Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman has reached 56, Iranian Press TV reports.
• IRGC Official Says Iran in 'High State of Alert' After Soleimani Killing Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Iran is in a "high state of alert" in the wake of the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by the US and is ready to strike US and European bases in the Middle East if need be, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official Maj. Gen. Mortada Qurbani said on Tuesday.
• Probe Underway in Ukrainian Plane Crash Outside Tehran That Killed 176 VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Authorities in Iran are investigating why a Ukrainian passenger jet crashed minutes after takeoff from Tehran's airport early Wednesday, killing all 176 people on board.
• Ukrainian Plane Crashes In Iran, Killing All 176 People Aboard RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- A Ukrainian commercial airliner crashed on January 8 soon after taking off from Iran's capital, Tehran, killing all 176 people on board, mostly Iranian nationals, but also Western and Ukrainian citizens.
• 147 Iranians, 32 foreigners lose lives in Boeing 737 crash IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- All 179 passengers died when a Ukrainian plane Boeing 737 crashed in southern Tehran Wednesday morning after its engine caught fire.
• Ukrainian airplane crashes near Tehran due to engine failure, 176 dead ISNA 08 Jan 2020 -- A Ukrainian passenger plane carrying 176 passengers and crew has crashed a few minutes after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport due to engine failure.
• All on board crashed Ukranian passenger plane confirmed dead People's Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- All the passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 737 Ukranian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) on Wednesday morning are confirmed dead, official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
• Ukrainian passenger jet crashes in Iran, all 179 on board dead Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- A Ukrainian passenger plane with 179 people on board has crashed shortly after take-off from the international airport south of the Iranian capital, Tehran, killing all those aboard.
• FM Zarif attaches value for territorial integrity, independence of Iraq IRNA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized that the Iraqi government had been informed of an Iranian missile strike, noting Iran attaches high value for Iraq's territorial integrity and independence and believes that security must be based on the mutual respect and territorial integrity of all countries in the region.
• Iraq condemns Iranian missile attack on the two Iraqi military bases SPA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iraq condemned latest Iranian missile attack on the two Iraqi military bases hosting American and international coalition forces.
• Iraqi Militia Leader Says Their Response to US Will Not be Lesser Than Iranian Retaliation - Reports Sputnik 08 Jan 2020 -- Two waves of airstrikes were launched against US military facilities in Erbil and the Ayn al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, housing US-led coalition forces on Wednesday morning following the assassination of the Commander of the IRGC's elite Quds Force Qasem Soleimani last week.
• Iraq response to US no less in size than that of Iran: Senior PMU cmdr. Press TV 08 Jan 2020 -- A senior commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) says it is time for an Iraqi response to the recent US assassination operation on the Arab country's soil, and that the reaction will be "no less than in size" than Tehran's missile strikes on two American bases in Iraq.
• Iraqi Kurds Concerned About US-Iran Escalation VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Leaders in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq said Wednesday that they were worried that any further escalation between the United States and Iran on Iraqi soil could throw the already unstable nation into a more volatile situation.
• Iraqis Want De-escalation and Dialogue, Chaldean Archbishop Says VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Iraqis are fearful about the continued use of their territory as a battleground, especially between the U.S. and Iran, says Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Yousif Thomas Mirkis, who serves the faithful in the fractious northern city of Kirkuk. He says Iraqis would like to see the U.S. and Iran stop their war of words as well as missiles, and begin a dialogue.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on January 8, 2020 PRC MofA 08 Jan 2020
• Hong Kong 'frontline' riots in retreat Global Times 08 Jan 2020 -- Many of the most radical Hong Kong rioters have announced they are giving up violence, indicating that what observers called the "black terror movement" has died down as the opposition camp shifts focus toward elections in September.
• Hong Kong Protesters So Well-Organized, Must Have Had 'Foreign Training': Government Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Hong Kong's security chief on Wednesday claimed that protesters in the city had been "receiving training from overseas groups," echoing Beijing's "hostile foreign forces" narrative about the ongoing pro-democracy movement.
• Key meeting reaffirms Party leadership role People's Daily 08 Jan 2020 -- Fulfillment of 13th Five-Year Plan projected; anti-poverty campaign nears successful end
• China's Actions in Xinjiang May Amount to 'Crimes Against Humanity,' Says US Rights Report Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- China's system of extrajudicial internment camps for Uyghurs and other Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) last year may meet the definition of "crimes against humanity," a U.S. congressional advisory panel said in its annual report, released Wednesday, as lawmakers expressed hope that legislation to hold Beijing accountable for human rights violations will soon become law.
• Anti-infiltration Act won't impede cross-Strait interactions: MAC CNA 08 Jan 2020 -- The controversial Anti-infiltration Act, which criminalizes activities in Taiwan backed by hostile forces such as China, will not impede normal interactions across the Taiwan Strait, the head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday.
• Taiwan prepares for regional elections Global Times 08 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan residents will head to the polls for the 2020 Taiwan elections on Saturday amid accusations of the mainland meddling and the influence of Hong Kong's social unrest.
• Taiwan's General Election Overshadowed by China Threat, Hong Kong Protests Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan is gearing up for a general election at the weekend that will see more than 19 million voters respond to growing fears of Chinese influence and interference in the democratic island in the wake of months of mass protests and police violence in Hong Kong.
• Fears of Becoming a New Hong Kong Steer Taiwan Presidential Election VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- Taiwanese voters will pick a president Saturday, setting the course for how to handle political and military rival China amid fears that Taiwan could be taken by the Communist government or become another protest-wracked Hong Kong.
• Chinese Leader's Mid-January Visit to Myanmar Seen as Boosting Belt And Road Projects Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Myanmar late next week to discuss bilateral relations and to push for the speedier buildout of Chinese development projects under his massive Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar analysts said Wednesday.
• Cambodian Court Orders Testimony in Kem Sokha Trial From 'Witness' Who Never Spoke With Him Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- A court in Cambodia's capital on Wednesday issued a summons requesting that a former elected official with the country's banned opposition in Banteay Meanchey province give testimony next week at the treason trial of his party's president, Kem Sokha, despite never having spoken with him.
• China, US among Countries Offering to Help Indonesia Build New Capital Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2020 -- Indonesian officials are welcoming offers from China, Japan and the United States to help build the Southeast Asian nation's "smart and green" new national capital on Borneo island, a project expected to begin later this year.
• Senior U.S. Diplomat Stresses Washington's Commitment To Cooperation With Central Asia RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- A senior U.S. diplomat has urged Central Asian nations to deepen their cooperation to boost economic opportunities and strengthen security in the region.
• Belgrade Protesters Rally Against Montenegro's New Religion Law RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- Thousands of people have rallied through Serbia's capital to protest against the alleged suppression of religious and other rights of Serbian minorities in neighboring countries.
• Treasury Sanctions South Sudanese First Vice President for Role in Serious Human Rights Abuse US Treasury 08 Jan 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the First Vice President of South Sudan, Taban Deng Gai (Deng) for his involvement in serious human rights abuse, including the disappearance and deaths of civilians.
• Treasury Sanctions First Vice President of South Sudan Taban Deng Gai US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai (Deng) for his role in serious human rights abuses.
• US Sanctions South Sudan's Vice President Over Abuses VOA 08 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on South Sudan's First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, accusing him of serious human rights abuses and trying to derail the country's peace process.
• Uzbek Ex-President's Daughter Gulnara Karimova On Trial Again For Corruption RFE/RL 08 Jan 2020 -- A new trial for Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the late Uzbek President Islam Karimov who has been jailed in a Tashkent prison since March 2019, has started in the capital.