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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Current Operations

• Afghan Government, Taliban Disagree on Timing of Ceasefire, Reduction of Violence Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- With the consultations on Afghan peace ongoing in the Qatari capital of Doha, the Afghan government and the rival Taliban radical group appear to disagree on roadmap to achieving comprehensive peace through ceasefire.

Defense Policy / Programs

• VFA-103, VFA-143 and VAW-121 Returns from Deployment NNS 19 Jan 2020 -- More than 100 U.S. Navy aviators returned to their home bases at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., and Norfolk Naval Station (NNS) in Norfolk, Va., on Jan. 19 following their nearly ten-month deployment as part of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) assigned aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
• Navy Will Name A Future Ford Class Aircraft Carrier After WWII Hero Doris Miller NNS 19 Jan 2020 -- Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly will name a future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier in honor of World War II hero Ship's Cook Third Class Doris Miller during a ceremony in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Jan. 20.
• A Majority of Millennials Surveyed Expect World War III in Their Lifetime VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- A survey of 16,000 millennials in 16 countries at peace and at war indicates a majority is nervous about the future, and a large plurality believes heightened global tensions are likely to lead to a catastrophic war. Launch of the report was commissioned last year by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
• World's first large, three-engine drone takes to sky Global Times 19 Jan 2020 -- Independently developed by China, the world's first large, three-engine utility drone recently made its first flight, with experts saying on Sunday that the drone is very reliable and versatile thanks to the extra engine, and can be used in transport and attack missions.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to Traveling Press US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with European Union High Representative Josep Borrell US Dept. of State 19 Jan 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Syrian Militants Launch Drone Attack Against Hmeimim Base, Air Defence Repels Strike - Russian MoD Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- Unidentified militants using unmanned flying vehicles launched an airstrike on Sunday targeting the Russian Hmeimim airbase in Syria. Air defence systems successfully thwarted the attack, and the military installation suffered no damage, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
• Despite Cease-Fire, Clashes Continue in Syria's Idlib VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- Fierce clashes continued Sunday between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters in the northwestern province of Idlib, despite a cease-fire brokered last week by Russia and Turkey.
• Iraqi Forces Say Detain One of Leaders of Daesh in Al-Fallujah Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) have detained one of the leaders of the Daesh* terrorist group in the city of Al-Fallujah, Anbar province, the ISOF said.
• Haftar's forces shut Libya oil output amid Berlin peace talks Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Forces loyal to eastern Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar have shut off production at Libya's major oil fields; an escalation that overshadowed an ongoing peace summit in the German capital Berlin.
• World Leaders Agree to Back Away From Interfering in Libya VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- World leaders agreed Sunday to respect an arms embargo and back off from interfering in Libya, where forces from two rival governments are fighting for power.
• Pompeo Says Berlin Summit Made Progress Toward Libya Cease-Fire RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says a summit in Berlin on the conflict in Libya has made progress toward a fully fledged cease-fire, and that he hopes the development will lead to the reopening of Libyan oil facilities that have been blocked by warring tribesmen.
• Libya's Haftar must end 'hostile attitude' to resolve conflict: Erdogan Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Turkey says Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar should end his "hostile attitude" in order to resolve the conflict in the war-wracked Arab country.
• Johnson appears keen to exploit Libyan conflict Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has said that British troops could help "police" a future ceasefire in Libya, as world powers scramble to contain the conflict in the war-torn North African country.
• Forces loyal to Haftar block oil exports from key Libyan ports Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Forces loyal to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar blocked oil exports from the war-ravaged country's main ports Saturday, raising the stakes on the eve of an international summit aimed at bringing peace to the North African nation.
• Germany Hosts Crucial Summit In Bid To End Libyan Fighting, Prevent 'New Syria' RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- Representatives of more than 10 countries, including Turkey, the United States, and Russia, are gathering in Berlin on January 19 in an attempt to end the conflict in Libya and prevent what some fear could result in another Syria-like refugee crisis.
• Erdogan Calls Libya Peace Conference Important Step, Also Intends to Discuss Syria's Idlib Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- The Berlin conference follows the intra-Libyan talks in Moscow with the participation of representatives of Russia and Turkey.
• GNA Head Sarraj Calls for Formation of UN-Mandated International Forces to Protect Libya Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- Fayez Sarraj, the head of the Tripoli-based internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), has called on the international community to send a peacekeeping mission under the auspices of the United Nations to ensure a ceasefire in Libya.
• Eastern Libyan Gov't Pledges to Fight Terrorism, Prevent Turkish Intervention – Speaker Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- Libya's ongoing civil war will not end until terrorist and extremist groups in the country have been completely defeated and the Libyan people will not allow military intervention from Turkey or any other foreign power, Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Libya's eastern-based parliament, said.
• Car Bomb Targets Turkish Engineers Outside Mogadishu VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- - At least three people were killed and more than 20 others, including Turkish nationals, were wounded when a car bomb targeting foreign nationals exploded Saturday in the town of Afgoye, 30 kilometers outside of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
• One Ukrainian Soldier Killed, 10 Wounded In Donbas RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- One Ukrainian soldier was killed and 10 were wounded over a span of 24 hours on January 18 in the country's eastern Donbas war zone, the Ukrainian military reported.

News Reports

• Trump's legal team slams impeachment charges as 'brazen and unlawful' Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- President Donald Trump's legal team has strongly dismissed the upcoming impeachment trial by the US Senate as unconstitutional and "dangerous."
• Key Players Squabble Over Trump's Impeachment Trial VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- Key players in the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump and his defense argued sharply Sunday whether his efforts to get Ukraine to launch investigations to benefit him politically were impeachable offenses that warranted his removal from office.
• Trump legal team slams House Democrats' impeachment move in 1st formal response People's Daily 19 Jan 2020 -- The White House legal team on Saturday slammed House Democrats' impeachment effort against President Donald Trump as "brazen and unlawful" in its first formal response.
• Opposing Sides Lay Out Their Case In Trump Impeachment Trial RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- The opposing sides in the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump laid out their cases on January 18, with Democratic managers saying Trump "abandoned" his oath of office, while the defense team fired back with claims of a "dangerous attack" on American democracy.
• Medvedev Says He's Hanging On To United Russia Party Chairmanship RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- Russian ex-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on January 19 that he will continue to chair the ruling United Russia party, which has worked in close concert with President Vladimir Putin to dominate the country's political scene for two decades.
• Former Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Says to Remain Chair of United Russia Ruling Party Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- On 15 January, Dmitry Medvedev unexpectedly resigned hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced sweeping changes to the Constitution and a revamped approach to managing the country's economy.
• Putin Denies He Wants to Remain in Power Indefinitely VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- Russia's Vladimir Putin is denying that he's planning to retain his grip on power when he relinquishes his country's presidency in 2024.
• U.K. PM Warns Putin Not To Repeat Chemical Attacks On Britain RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Vladimir Putin in their first official meeting that Moscow must not repeat a chemical attack on Britain like the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
• North Korea Appoints Korean Unification Talks Chief as New Foreign Minister – Reports Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- According to the Yonhap News Agency, ambassadors in Pyongyang have been notified of the appointment. The former CPRC chief, who has previously headed North Korean delegations during high-level talks with South Korea, will reportedly replace outgoing Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.
• E3 cannot logically activate JCPOA dispute settlement mechanism: Iran Deputy FM Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas says the three European signatories to Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), cannot logically activate the deal's dispute settlement mechanism, because Iran has already done that.
• Iran says will soon launch Zafar satellites into orbit Press TV 19 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi says two Zafar (Victory) satellites have successfully passed tests and will soon be launched into space.
• Majlis to decide about Iran's cooperation with IAEA IRNA 19 Jan 2020 -- Members of Parliament) announced in a statement that it will decide about Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
• Larijani calls on EU to observe justice dealing with JCPOA IRNA 19 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday deplored the negative stance taken by the three European countries, calling on them to observe justice in dealing with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
• U.K., France Cite Need For 'Long-Term Framework' After Tehran Warns It Could 'Reconsider' IAEA Cooperation RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- The influential speaker of Iran's parliament has warned European powers against "for any reason" taking an "unfair" approach to the dispute mechanism in the 4-year-old nuclear deal that has been in the balance since a U.S. pullout in 2018.
• U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran's IRGC general People's Daily 19 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. State Department said Saturday that it had imposed sanctions on a brigadier general of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
• As Victims' Bodies Arrive In Kyiv, Tehran Clouds Plans For Flight PS752's Black Boxes RFE/RL 19 Jan 2020 -- The coffins of 11 Ukrainians killed when Iran's military mistakenly shot down a passenger airliner after takeoff from Tehran international airport arrived in Kyiv on January 19 as new questions emerged over Iranian officials' cooperation in ongoing investigations into the tragedy.
• Zafar 1, 2 delivered to Iran's Ministry of Information ISNA 19 Jan 2020 -- Zafar 1 and 2 satellites were delivered to Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology in a ceremony with the participation of Iranian Space Agency (ISA) chief Morteza Barari.
• Xi's Myanmar visit promotes building of community with shared future for humanity People's Daily 19 Jan 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Myanmar, his first overseas trip this year, is another important practice for China to promote the building of a community with shared future for humanity in the region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.
• $10,000 per capita GDP despite population slowdown secures strong Chinese market Global Times 18 Jan 2020 -- China's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded $10,000 for the first time in 2019. Experts say this cements the country's position as the world's second-largest economy, and that its population of 1.4 billion provides important business opportunities for other countries.
• Hong Kong Rally Canceled After Clashes With Police VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- A large protest in Hong Kong was ended by police when clashes broke out between protesters and plainclothes officers Sunday.
• Taiwan not part of China as claimed by Myanmar, Beijing: MOFA CNA 19 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's foreign ministry on Sunday pushed back against a joint statement between Beijing and Myanmar that said Taiwan was undisputedly part of China's territory.
• Maduro Says He Controls Venezuela, Ready for Direct Negotiations With US Sputnik 19 Jan 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first major interview with a US-based media outlet, almost a year after he canceled a Univision interview session in February 2019 and expelled its journalists from the country.
• Senior US Diplomat in Pakistan Amid Warmth in Mutual Ties VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- A senior American diplomat began a four-day official visit to Pakistan Sunday amid warming bilateral relations that have followed meetings last year between President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Chinese Health Officials Report Huge Spike in Cases of New Virus VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- Chinese health officials in the central city of Wuhan confirmed 136 new cases of a new coronavirus – a huge spike – over the past three days.
• China Reports 136 New Coronavirus Cases Over the Weekend VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- Chinese health officials in Wuhan report 136 new cases of a newly confirmed coronavirus in the past three days, bringing the total number of cases of the potentially deadly virus to nearly 200.
• Wuhan virus preventable, controllable: commission Global Times 19 Jan 2020 -- The National Health Commission (NHC) said Sunday that the pneumonia in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, caused by a new type of coronavirus was still "preventable and controllable," as public voices called for more open and transparent information amid anxiety of expanding transmission during the Spring Festival travel rush.
• China's Wuhan reports 17 new pneumonia cases Global Times 19 Jan 2020 -- Central Chinese city of Wuhan reported 17 new coronavirus-related pneumonia cases Friday, local health authorities said Sunday.
• New Tech, Sharp Docs Made Fast ID of Wuhan Coronavirus Possible VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- The new virus emerging from a live animal market in southern China has worrisome echoes of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which killed 774 people worldwide in 2002 and 2003.
• Passengers on Wuhan Flights Shrug at 'Temperature and a Form' Screenings VOA 19 Jan 2020 -- U.S. health officials began screening at three airports – here, Los Angeles and New York – of passengers traveling from Wuhan, a city in central China, where a viral pneumonia has spread.