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Defense Policy / Programs

• Army announces Future Long Range Assault Aircraft contract award US Army 05 Dec 2022 -- The U.S. Army has awarded the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft contract to Bell Textron, Incorporated.
• AFCENT's innovation Task Force 99 establishes ops, HQ US Air Force 05 Dec 2022 -- Less than two months following the establishment of Task Force 99, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, visited the team at their new location for a peek behind the curtain of the command's innovation powerhouse Dec. 1.
• Finnish Minister of Defense Visits USS Arlington in Norfolk on Same Day U.S. Destroyer Visits Helsinki US Navy 05 Dec 2022 -- As Finland awaits the finalization of their NATO membership process following its May North Atlantic Treaty Organization application, the Honorable Antti Kaikkonen, Finland's Minister of Defense, visited the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), Dec. 4, for a familiarization tour.
• USS James E. Williams Departs for Mediterranean NATO Deployment US Navy 05 Dec 2022 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) departed on deployment, Dec. 2, 2022.
• Guard's Global Reach, Capabilities Support National Defense Strategy Army News 05 Dec 2022 -- What the National Guard brings to the global stage directly contributes to significant pieces of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
• Visit to Crimean Bridge President of Russia 05 Dec 2022 -- Vladimir Putin drove along a Crimean Bridge lane repaired after the explosion on October 8.
• Putin Stresses Importance of Land Road Connecting Crimea With Rest of Russia: Kremlin Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Crimean bridge on Monday and stressed the importance of a land road connecting Crimea with the rest of Russia amid continued threats from Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• Blast at Airfield Near Russia's Ryazan Kills 3 People, Injures 6 More: Emergency Services Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Three people were killed and six more were injured as a fuel tanker caught fire at an airfield near the Russian city of Ryazan, the emergency services told Sputnik on Monday.
• Russia's Bastion Missile Systems Enter Service on Paramushir Island: Defense Ministry Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- The Bastion mobile coastal defense systems of the Russian Pacific Fleet have been deployed for duty on the Kuril island of Paramushir, the Russian Defense Ministry informed on Monday.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's video address to the participants in the Moscow Non-Proliferation Conference, Moscow, December 5, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05 Dec 2022
• Russia Regularly Warns West That Direct Nuclear Powers Clash Unacceptable: Lavrov Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- The policy of the US and NATO towards an actual military confrontation with Russia is fraught with catastrophic consequences, and Moscow is forced to regularly send warning signals to Washington and Brussels about the unacceptability of a direct clash between nuclear powers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
• Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine - December 05, 2022 DOD
• US Secretly Rigged HIMARS to Keep Kiev From Firing Rockets at Russia — Report Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- While the US government has publicly insisted it has full faith in the judgment of the current Ukrainian leadership, a new report claiming the US quietly sabotaged the missiles it sent to Kiev suggests otherwise.
• PLA Army brigade holds urban warfare drills integrating drones, robots Global Times 05 Dec 2022 -- An army brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently held a series of urban warfare exercises in which troops integrated drones and robots for reconnaissance, combat support and logistics support tasks, with experts saying on Monday that the use of unmanned equipment could significantly enhance combat effectiveness and lower casualties.
• 42nd Chinese naval escort taskforce completes first in-port replenishment PLA Daily 05 Dec 2022 -- With the assistance of two tugboats, the supply ship CNS Kekexilihu attached to the 42nd Chinese naval escort taskforce pulled off from the port of Djibouti after completing the in-port replenishment there on November 29, local time.
• Chinese peacekeeping force to South Sudan (Wau) launches yearly rotation PLA Daily 05 Dec 2022 -- The first-batch 165 members of the 12th Chinese peacekeeping contingent to South Sudan (Wau) set off from the mission area and returned home on December 1, after completing their one-year peacekeeping mission, according to the rotation deployment order.
• Chinese Ship Enters Indian Ocean Ahead of Multiple Missile Tests by Delhi Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- India is keeping a close watch on Chinese naval vessels, including research and fishing ships operating in the Indian Ocean Region, amid rising competition with its northern neighbor.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Australian Minister of Defence Richard Marles DoD 05 Dec 2022
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks Welcoming Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles to the Pentagon DoD 05 Dec 2022
• U.S.-Australia Work to Strengthen Alliance DoD News 05 Dec 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III began three days of intense discussions with two of the United States' closest allies: Australia and the United Kingdom.
• Minister of National Defence announces that permanent residents are welcome to apply now to join the Canadian Armed Forces Canada 05 Dec 2022 -- Permanent residents represent an important, skilled, and diverse workforce in Canada. This is why today, the Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, announced that permanent residents are welcome to apply to enroll in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
• Permanent Residents May Now Apply to Join Canadian Armed Forces - National Defense Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will now be accepting applications of enrollment made by permanent residents, the Ministry of National Defense said on Monday.
• Minister Anand welcomes home Royal Canadian Navy ships from operations in the Indo-Pacific Region Canada 05 Dec 2022 -- Today, the Honourable Anita Anand,welcomed home the companies of His Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Vancouver and Winnipeg as they returned to their homeport of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, after successfully completing their deployments on Operation (Op) PROJECTION and Op NEON.
• Canada Plans to Increase Traffic of Warships Through Taiwan Strait: Foreign Minister Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Canada intends to send more warships to pass through the Taiwan Strait to demonstrate that the waters claimed by China are international, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Monday.
• Spokesman for KPA General Staff Issues Statement KCNA 05 Dec 2022 -- A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army issued the following statement on Monday:
• 'Tit-for-tat' warning: North Korea fires shells into buffer zone with South Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- South Korea says the North has fired a barrage of artillery shells into a maritime buffer zone. Pyongyang says it was a warning against Seoul's "provocative actions."
• Germany to Allocate Over $10 Billion for Purchasing F-35A Lightning II Fighters, Reports Say Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Germany has set aside €10 billion ($10.54 billion) to buy 35 F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, US media reports citing a government document.
• New Design of The PRESIDENT'S STANDARD AND COLOUR, and the INDIAN NAVY CREST Unveiled India PIB 05 Dec 2022 -- The Hon'ble President of India has approved introduction of a new design for the President's Standard and Colour and Indian Navy Crest for the Indian Navy, which were unveiled at Visakhapatnam on Navy Day on 04 Dec 2022.
• No foreign aircraft carriers in Persian Gulf thanks to Iran's presence: Top general Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri says Iran's powerful presence in the Persian Gulf region has prevented foreign aircraft carriers from maintaining a foothold in the strategic region.
• Government proposal on Finland's accession to NATO submitted to Parliament Finnish Government 05 Dec 2022 -- The Finnish Government submitted a proposal on Finland's accession to NATO to Parliament on 5 December. The consultation on the draft proposal generated about 1,600 responses.
• Additional purchases to develop night combat capability Finnish MoD 05 Dec 2022 -- The Defence Forces will procure more night vision equipment from Senop Oy. The equipment includes image intensifiers and laser sights as well as their spare parts.
• West African leaders agree to create regional peacekeeping force Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- West African leaders have agreed to create an dependent regional military force tasked with maintaining peace and security in the region.
• ECOWAS to Form Regional Force, 'Recalibrate Security Architecture,' West African Leaders Say Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Amid increasing security threats in West Africa and the Sahel region, with continuous terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets, as well as general instability, leaders of West African nations are set to act together in order to ensure peace and security in the area.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with UK FCDO Permanent Under Secretary Barton US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Cleverly and FCDO Parliamentary Under Secretary Rutley US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with UK National Security Adviser Barrow US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Co-Chairs Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Rwandan President Kagame US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, December 5, 2022 The White House 05 Dec 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 5, 2022
• Textron's Bell V-280 Valor Chosen as New U.S. Army Long-Range Assault Aircraft Textron 05 Dec 2022 -- The V-280's unmatched combination of proven tiltrotor technology coupled with innovative digital engineering and an open architecture offers the Army outstanding operational versatility for its vertical lift fleet
• Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to Collaborate on High-Energy Laser System Lockheed Martin 05 Dec 2022 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Ltd., of Israel, have signed a teaming agreement that includes jointly developing, testing and manufacturing High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS) in the U.S. and Israel. The future joint-development will be based on the assets that have been developed independently by RAFAEL and the Ministry of Defense's Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) within the framework of the IRON BEAM project. The cooperation will be geared towards developing a variant of the system for the American market as well as others.
• US, Israeli Defense Firms Pen Deal to Develop American Version of 'Iron Beam' Laser Defense System Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Two of the biggest American and Israeli defense contractors, Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, announced a new joint effort on Monday to develop a version of the "Iron Beam" laser-based air defense system for the non-Israeli market.
• Lockheed Martin Delivers Mid-Range Capability Weapon System to the United States Army Lockheed Martin 05 Dec 2022 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the first Mid-Range Capability (MRC) battery, also known as the Typhon Weapon System, to the United States Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technology Office (RCCTO).

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 5 December 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Dec 2022
• HRW Says ICC Needs Financial Support to Do Its Work VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued Monday, called on member nations of the International Criminal Court to make a commitment at their annual meeting this week in The Hague "to provide consistent financial, political, and practical support for justice."
• UNICEF appeals for US$10.3 billion emergency funding to support children affected by conflict, catastrophe and climate crises around the world UNICEF 05 Dec 2022 -- UNICEF today launched a US$10.3 billion emergency funding appeal to reach more than 173 million people - including 110 million children - affected by humanitarian crises, the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and the growing threat of climate-impacted severe weather events.
• UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell's remarks at the launch of UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children appeal UNICEF 05 Dec 2022
• Taliban Claim Arrest of IS Gunman in Attack on Pakistan Envoy VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said Monday they had arrested a foreign operative of the Islamic State militant group for allegedly carrying out last week's failed assassination attempt on Pakistan's chief diplomat in the country.
• Taliban Captures Daesh Terrorist Who Attacked Pakistani Mission in Kabul Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Daesh* claimed that the attack on the diplomatic premises was carried out by two militants armed with sniper rifles and other weapons.
• Yemen can return every attack with dozens of missiles, drones: Saree Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- The Yemeni Armed Forces' spokesman says the country has reached a level of military capability that has enabled it to respond to the enemy's aggression with remarkable firepower.
• Iraq: Investigative team reaches 'next level' in bid to bring ISIL terrorists to justice UN News 05 Dec 2022 -- Providing justice for the communities impacted by the ISIL terror network in Iraq remains the key focus of the UN investigative team there, Special Adviser Christian Ritscher told the Security Council on Monday.
• More than a dozen Rohingya found dead in Myanmar's Yangon region Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2022 -- Authorities in Myanmar have launched an investigation after a group of women on their way to the market in Yangon region made a gruesome discovery early on Monday morning - 13 broken and waterlogged corpses believed to be members of the Rohingya ethnic group.
• Armed bandits abduct 19 Muslim worshippers in Nigeria mosque attack Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Gunmen stormed a mosque in Nigeria's restive northwestern state of Katsina on Saturday and abducted 19 Muslim worshippers while they were offering evening prayers, reports said.
• Thousands of People Who Fled Boko Haram Attacks in Northeastern Nigeria Return Home, Officials Say Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Terrorism and insurgent violence carried out by the terrorist organization Boko Haram* is one of the major drivers of insecurity across northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. As the Nigerian government has made strides in retaking and stabilizing large portions of the region, affected residents are gradually restoring their lives.
• Cameroon Welcomes US Indictment of Suspected Separatist Sponsors VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Cameroon's government is praising U.S. authorities for arresting three Cameroonian Americans accused of supporting separatist violence in the country's western regions. The three, arrested a week ago and indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice, allegedly raised funds to abduct persons and use weapons of mass destruction in a foreign country.
• Report: Guards Massacred 83 Tigrayan Prisoners at Camp in Southern Ethiopia VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- A published report says Ethiopian guards and villagers massacred 83 Tigrayan prisoners at a camp in southern Ethiopia last November in what the report calls the deadliest killing of imprisoned soldiers since the Tigray war started more than two years ago.

News Reports

• Work Starts on World's Largest Radio Telescope in Australia VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- In a remote corner of the Western Australian outback, work has begun on the world's largest radio telescope. Astronomers say the Square Kilometre Array will be capable of searching the stars for signals of intelligent life and listening back to the start of the universe.
• DHS Announces Extension of REAL ID Full Enforcement Deadline DHS 05 Dec 2022 -- Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intent to extend the REAL ID full enforcement date by 24 months, from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025.
• Remarks by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg ABA-ABA Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference US Treasury 05 Dec 2022
• US Homeland Security Chief Warns Borders Being Rendered Meaningless VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- America's borders - and borders in general - are no longer sufficient to help protect the United States from a variety of evolving threats, including foreign wars, according to a grim assessment by the country's top Homeland Security official.
• Brussels Reopens Painful Page With Start of Trial Over 2016 Terror Attacks VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Belgium reopened a painful chapter in its recent history Monday, as the trial opened for alleged conspirators in the 2016 terror attacks around Brussels that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more.
• EU Slaps Oil Embargo on Russia With Price Cap, Uncertain Impact VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- A European Union embargo against maritime shipments of crude oil from Russia went into effect Monday, along with a price cap agreed to by the Group of Seven leading industrialized economies and Australia.
• Russia Defiant As Oil Price Cap, Embargo Come Into Effect RFE/RL 05 Dec 2022 -- A price cap of $60 per barrel imposed on seaborne Russian oil by the Group of Seven (G7) leading economies, the European Union, and several importing countries came into effect on December 5, as Russia remained defiant and said it would not recognize the restrictions.
• Russian Oil Prices to Change After Introduction of Cap by West, Kremlin Says Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- The cost of Russian oil after the introduction of a price cap by the West will change, this was a step towards destabilizing global energy markets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
• Russia shrugs off West's oil price cap, says it will not disrupt its 'special military operation' in Ukraine Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- The Kremlin has warned that Russia will not disrupt its months-long special military operation in neighboring Ukraine even as a Western-imposed price cap on the country's oil exports enters into effect.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, Moscow, December 5, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05 Dec 2022
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bairamov Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05 Dec 2022
• Japan Excludes Sakhalin-2 Project From Russian Oil Price Cap List: Foreign Ministry Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- Japan has implemented a price cap on Russian crude oil at all fields, but has decided to exclude the Sakhalin-2 oil project from the list provided the energy resource's place of origin is confirmed, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on December 5, 2022 PRC MofA 05 Dec 2022
• US itself is initiator of interference in others' internal affairs and engaging in economic coercion: Chinese FM Global Times 05 Dec 2022 -- China resolutely opposes the US and the EU to interfere in China's internal affairs and to slander China, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday in response to remarks related to China made during the fourth high-level meeting of the US-EU Dialogue on China.
• Rejection of plan for super-embassy a 'setback' for China's overseas operations Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2022 -- A decision by local officials not to allow China to build a "super-embassy" on the site of a historic building in east London is a major setback for the Chinese Communist Party's overseas influence operations, analysts told RFA.
• China Begins to Revive Arctic Scientific Ground Projects After Setbacks VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Beijing is taking its first steps toward recovering from years of setbacks to its scientific, land-based projects in the Arctic, sending personnel to two outposts that have been vital to its policy of establishing China as a "near-Arctic" state.
• HK's Civic Party to disband, as disruptive forces no longer welcomed among public Global Times 05 Dec 2022 -- The Civic Party in Hong Kong has been left with no choice but to dissolve itself as its new executive committee cannot be formed, said the party's chairman and founder Alan Leong Kah-kit on Saturday, local media reported on Saturday.
• Taiwanese Follow Chinese Protests with Interested but Muted Support VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- For two weeks, small groups of Taiwanese have gathered in support of a wave of protests across China against the government's strict COVID-19 restrictions and ongoing lockdowns in the largest movement of civil disobedience since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
• Polish parliamentarian group arrives in Taiwan CNA 05 Dec 2022 -- A delegation of Polish lawmakers led by Waldemar Andzel, chair of Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group, arrived in Taiwan Monday for a five-day trip, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
• Seoul Vows to Enhance Sanctions Against Pyongyang in Event of New Missile Tests, Reports Say Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- South Korea will toughen sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang conducts another missile test or any other provocative acts, Korean news agency reported on Monday, citing foreign ministry.
• Exclusive: Western states lay down conditions for withdrawing support for anti-Iran riots Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- A high-ranking Iranian security official says certain Western countries sponsoring and provoking recent deadly riots in Iran have hinted at withdrawing support for the unrest provided that Tehran fully complies with their conditions.
• Mission Of Iran's Morality Police Has Ended, But New Methods Sought To Enforce Hijab Law -- Spokesman RFE/RL 05 Dec 2022 -- The spokesman for Iran's morality police said that the mission of the police unit has ended but new methods should be used to enforce the country's mandatory hijab law.
• Iranian Official Appears To Admit To Killing Of Women And Children on Audio File RFE/RL 05 Dec 2022 -- A leaked audio file from the Iranian pro-regime Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, appears to show the secretary of the council admitting to the accidental killing of women and children during a bloody crackdown in the southeastern city of Zahedan on September 30.
• Angry Iranians Launch Three-Day Protest As More Death Sentences Issued RFE/RL 05 Dec 2022 -- Iranian protesters have begun three consecutive days of protests and nationwide strikes as the judiciary continues to follow through on a government crackdown by issuing three more death sentences in its response to unrest sparked by the death of a young woman while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly.
• Protesters in Iran Begin 3-Day National Strike VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Protesters in Iran began a three-day strike on Monday as part of a wave of civil unrest triggered by the September death of an Iranian Kurdish woman who had been detained by the country's morality police.
• US Envoy: Iran Should Not Be Member of UN Commission on Women VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has again emphasized her opposition to Iran's participation on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
• IRGC: No mercy will be shown to rioters, thugs, terrorists serving Iran's enemies Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has commended the Judiciary for its firm treatment of a number of rioters affiliated with the Israeli spy agency, saying no mercy will be shown to rioters, thugs and terrorists serving the country's enemies.
• Iran will not negotiate under pressure and threat: Spokesman IRNA 05 Dec 2022 -- Spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani says the country will not negotiate the revival of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, known as the JCPOA, under pressure and threats.
• Iran won't negotiate under pressure, threat ISNA 05 Dec 2022 -- American officials well know that Iran will neither negotiate nor make concessions under pressure and threats, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stressed.
• Iran will not negotiate under 'pressure and threats': FM spokesman Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has reiterated the Islamic Republic's commitment to the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers but made it clear that Tehran is not willing to negotiate under pressure and threats.
• Russia FM urges swift, irreversible lifting of all 'illegal' US sanctions against Iran Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the United States must swiftly and irreversibly remove all "illegal" sanctions it has imposed on Iran.
• Iranian FM holds consultations with Europe-based envoys ISNA 05 Dec 2022 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who, at the invitation of his Serbian counterpart, is on an official visit to Serbia, held consultations with the Europe-based ambassadors of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Iran accuses U.S. of "seeking to cause chaos" to force concessions in nuke talks People's Daily 05 Dec 2022 -- The Iranian foreign minister on Sunday accused the United States, along with some other Western countries, of "seeking to cause chaos" in Iran to force its concessions in the talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.
• Iran accuses Western officials of "false human rights gestures" People's Daily 05 Dec 2022 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday condemned officials of some Western countries for making "false human rights gestures" by "dividing terrorism into good and bad."
• Myanmar religious leader detained and banned from leaving the country Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2022 -- Police and junta troops detained well-known Myanmar religious leader Hkalam Samson at Mandalay International Airport as he tried to fly abroad for medical treatment. They released him on Monday after holding him overnight and put him on a plane back to Kachin state, his friends told RFA, but re-arrested him upon his arrival at Myitkyina Airport in Kachin.
• Cautious Calm in Southern Syria After Deadly Anti-Government Protests VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- A cautious calm has returned to a province in southern Syria following anti-government protests over the weekend that quickly turned violent when dozens of demonstrators stormed a government building, leading to clashes with security forces.
• President Herzog arrives in Bahrain on official visit Israel - Prime Minister 04 Dec 2022 -- President Isaac Herzog was welcomed to the Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama today (Sunday, 4 December 2022) in a State Welcoming Ceremony with an honor guard, after which he met today with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
• President Herzog meets with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Israel - Prime Minister 05 Dec 2022 -- President Herzog: The UAE is a major linchpin in the movement towards peace in the region. The Abraham Accords are a national consensus in the State of Israel, for all parties and for all factions of Israeli politics.
• Sudan: UN welcomes 'courageous' military-civilian pact towards democratic future UN News 05 Dec 2022 -- Senior UN officials have welcomed an agreement signed on Monday between military and civilian leaders in Sudan as a "courageous" step forward towards the establishment of democratic rule.
• Joint Statement by the Quad and Troika US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2022 -- Members of the Quad and Troika (Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) welcome the agreement of an initial political framework.
• Sudan: Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell on the signature of a political framework agreement European External Action Service (EEAS) 05 Dec 2022 -- The European Union welcomes the signature of a political framework agreement and commends the actors who have signed today. The European Union has been a strong supporter of the UNITAMS-African Union-IGAD tripartite mechanism and congratulates it on the facilitation it has provided to allow an intra-Sudanese political process to take shape and materialise.
• Sudanese Military, Opposition Sign Agreement to Create Transitional Civil Authority Sputnik 05 Dec 2022 -- The Sudanese military and opposition signed on Monday a framework political agreement providing for the creation of a transitional civil authority in the country, as broadcast by national media.
• Sudan generals sign deal with civilian parties as protesters cry foul Press TV 05 Dec 2022 -- Sudan's ruling army generals have signed an initial agreement with civilian parties in a move expected to pave the way for ending a crisis caused by last year's military coup.
• A year on, Laotians say high-speed rail link with China has brought them few benefits Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2022 -- A year ago, a U.S.$6 billion high-speed railway was completed between Laos and China amid much fanfare and hopes that it would fuel exports from Laos and spur growth in the impoverished, landlocked country.
• Pair plead guilty to bribery in attempt to create semi-autonomous Pacific region Radio Free Asia 05 Dec 2022 -- A Chinese pair who tried to create a semi-autonomous region in the Marshall Islands with no tax and relaxed immigration rules have pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiring to bribe officials.
• Kyrgyz Politicians Annoyed Over Russian Anger At Possible Soviet-Era Name Changes RFE/RL 05 Dec 2022 -- Bishkek is the only capital city in Central Asia that has kept the Soviet-era names of its districts, including the Lenin district.
• Burkina Faso Bans French State Broadcaster in Blow to Press Freedom VOA 05 Dec 2022 -- Press freedom groups have condemned Burkina Faso's halting of broadcasts by French media outlet Radio France International (RFI). Ouagadougou's military leaders linked the ban to RFI reporting that the junta describes as false. Critics say the military is seeking to control news and information as it struggles against worsening insecurity.
• Canada imposes sanctions against Haitian economic elites Canada 05 Dec 2022 -- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations in response to the egregious conduct of Haitian elites who provide illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs.