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Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.'s travel to Jordan US Air Force 18 Jan 2023 -- U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. traveled to Jordan Jan. 7-8 and met with Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hiyasat, Royal Jordanian Air Force commander, to reaffirm the robust U.S.-Jordan security partnership.
• USS New Hampshire Returns to Norfolk US Navy 18 Jan 2023 -- The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) returned to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk after successfully completing a scheduled deployment, Tuesday, Jan. 17.
  Under the command of Capt. Bennett Christman, New Hampshire returns from a six-month deployment where it executed the chief of naval operations' maritime strategy by supporting national security interests and maritime security operations.
• USS Canberra (LCS 30) Hosts Australian Promotion US Navy 18 Jan 2023 -- Commodore Darren Grogan, Royal Australian Naval Attaché to the United States, promoted Royal Australian Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Luke Brewer to Chief Warrant Officer aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), Jan. 11.
• Royal Saudi Navy Transfers Command of Middle East Task Force to UK Royal Navy US Navy 18 Jan 2023 -- During an indoor ceremony at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain, Jan. 18, United Kingdom's Royal Navy assumed command of a multinational task force led by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces since July.
• USS Mississippi Conducts Weapons Handling Exercise with Royal Australian Navy US Navy 18 Jan 2023 -- The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN 782) completed a weapons-handling exercise involving the transfer of an inert training shape from Mississippi to Royal Australian Navy (RAN) assets ashore and back to the submarine, while moored at HMAS Stirling Naval Base, Dec. 1, 2022.
• CENTCOM Commander Visits Israel Defense Forces Leadership CENTCOM 18 Jan 2023 -- On Jan. 16 and 17, Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Tel Aviv to visit the leadership of the Israel Defense Forces.
• Maryland ANG first to certify cyber protection team on live network US Air Force 18 Jan 2023 -- Members of the Maryland Air National Guard's 275th Cyberspace Operations Squadron recently became the first cyber operators in the Air National Guard to certify a Cyber Protection Team using their weapon system on a live base network during real-world missions.
• NY Army Guard and Brazil plan major joint exercise Army News 18 Jan 2023 -- The New York Army National Guard has begun laying the groundwork for a joint exercise with the Brazilian military in the fall.
• Enhanced Battle Group of One Army News 18 Jan 2023 -- Members of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle Group Poland, which is currently led by the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (3-8 CAV), 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1 ABCT) operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID), serve alongside the U.K. The Royal Lancers, Prince of Wales Troop, the Romanian Sky Guardians, and the Croatian Archer Battery to form a multinational fighting force in defense of the European Eastern front.
• NATO Chiefs of Defence meet in Brussels NATO 18 Jan 2023 -- The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, and the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Mircea Geoană, opened the first meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session of 2023 on Wednesday 18 January 2023. This meeting brings together the Allied Chiefs of Defence and their counterparts from Invitees Finland and Sweden.
• The President and NATO Secretary General discussed preparations for the Vilnius Summit President of the Republic of Lithuania 18 Jan 2023 -- On Wednesday, at the Davos World Economic Forum, President Gitanas Nausėda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed preparations for the NATO Summit to be held in Vilnius this July. According to the Lithuanian leader, the NATO Summit in Vilnius is of particular importance in further strengthening the security of the Baltic region and the Euro-Atlantic area, given the context of Russia's continued military aggression in Ukraine.
• Australian troops deploy to train Ukrainian forces Australia DOD 18 Jan 2023 -- Australian soldiers depart Darwin for the United Kingdom this week to join partner nations in providing critical training to Ukrainian recruits.
• NATO Secretary General calls for more support to Ukraine at World Economic Forum NATO 18 Jan 2023 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (18 January 2023), where he called for more support to Ukraine.
• US, Germany Pressured to Send Tanks to Ukraine After Britain Breaks Taboo VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Ukraine says the West must speed up the delivery of weapons as its troops come under increasing pressure from invading Russian forces, ahead of a key meeting of the Ukraine Défense Contact Group of NATO allies in Ramstein, Germany on Friday.
• Austin Arrives in Germany Focused on Efforts to Help Ukraine DoD News 18 Jan 2023 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is meeting with his new German counterpart in Berlin as a prelude to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base later this week.
• Report: US to Announce New Ukraine Military Aid Package on Friday With Stryker Vehicles Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- The US government will reportedly announce on Friday a new military assistance package for Ukraine that will include Stryker vehicles but not M1A2 Abrams tanks.
• White House Hints New Military Aid Package for Ukraine Coming by End of Week Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- The United States may announce a new aid package for Ukraine, which will include new deliveries of weapons, by the weekend, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday.
• Pentagon Sending US Arms Stored in Israel to Ukraine, Reports Suggest Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- The US Department of Defense is tapping into a vast stockpile of US ammunition in Israel, which provides arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts, to help meet Ukraine's need for artillery shells in the conflict with Russia, American press reported citing US and Israeli officials.
• US quietly shipping ammunition to Ukraine from massive stockpile in Israel: Report Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- A new report says the United States is quietly sending hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine from the so-called American emergency stockpile in Israel, amid Russia's ongoing war with the former Soviet state.
• Ukraine promised third Patriot missile system by Netherlands Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- The Netherlands has announced plans to send a Patriot surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine — the war-hit country's third overall — to boost Ukrainian forces in the conflict with Russia.
• PLA air defense missile unit tests quick deployment with Y-20 transport aircraft for 1st time Global Times 18 Jan 2023 -- A top surface-to-air missile unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force recently took part in a systematic confrontational exercise, in which it for the first time tested its quick deployment capability by flying with Y-20 large transport aircraft. This method will significantly enhance China's air defense flexibility, analysts said on Wednesday.
• China gears up for 2023 military recruitment People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- China targets high-caliber soldiers for building a world-class military, according to a teleconference on conscription held in Beijing on Wednesday.
• Australia aims to replace costly European Taipan choppers with US-made Black Hawks Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- Australia plans to get US-designed Black Hawk helicopters to replace its trouble-prone European-made Taipans.
• Black Hawk helicopters for Defence Australia DOD 18 Jan 2023 -- The Australian Government will acquire 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian Army.
• £100 million boost as naval shipbuilding confirms return to Belfast UK MOD 18 Jan 2023 -- A £1.6 billion contract has been awarded to Team Resolute to manufacture the vessels providing munitions, stores and provisions to Royal Navy ships.
• Iran Army flotilla docks at Karachi Port to continue defense ties with Pakistan IRNA 18 Jan 2023 -- Two frigates and a submarine of Iran's Navy berthed at the southern Pakistani port of Karachi on Wednesday to follow defense diplomacy between the two countries.
• Region indebted to IRGC; anti-terror force will continue on its path with strength: Interior Minister Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has censured "some Europeans" for their attempts to designate an official force as a foreign terrorist organization, stating that the move clearly attests to the mental and political weakness of its architects.
• Japan, India drills signal deepening military cooperation Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- The first joint combat air drills between Japan and India are underway, signaling a deepening of the two country's security ties as China continues to exert power and influence in the Asia-Pacific.
• Japanese Coast Guard Ship Runs Aground in Sea of Japan, Reports Say Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- Japanese coast guard patrol ship Echigo has run aground off Niigata Prefecture in the Sea of Japan, local media reported on Wednesday.
• Experts: South Korea Seeks Enhanced US Nuclear Assurances Against North Korea VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- By expressing an interest in acquiring nuclear weapons, South Korea is demonstrating an urgent determination to secure enhanced security assurances from the United States as the nuclear threat from North Korea grows, experts say.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 18 Jan 2023
• Joint Statement on the U.S.-Türkiye Strategic Mechanism US Dept. of State 18 Jan 2023 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Türkiye on the occasion of the U.S.- Türkiye Strategic Mechanism.
• No: 18, 18 January 2023, Joint Statement on the Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs 18 Jan 2023 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the Republic of Türkiye and the United States of America on the occasion of the Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism.
• Department Press Briefing - January 18, 2023 US Dept. of State 18 Jan 2023
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Italian Diplomatic Advisor Talò US Dept. of State 18 Jan 2023
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, January 18, 2023 The White House 18 Jan 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 18, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 18 January 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 Jan 2023
• Secretary-General's remarks at the World Economic Forum UN Secretary-General 18 Jan 2023
• UN Envoy Visits Afghanistan, Discusses Bans on Women VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- A top U.N. diplomat held talks with the foreign minister of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan to convey international concern about restrictions they have placed on women's access to work, education and public life.
• 4 terrorists killed in counter-terror operation in SW Pakistan People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- Four terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation by security forces in Hoshab area of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, the military said on Wednesday.
• Pakistani Army: Iran-based 'Terrorists' Kill 4 Pakistani Soldiers in Cross-border Attack VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Authorities in Pakistan said Wednesday that a militant attack from across the Iranian side of the border between the two countries had killed four soldiers.
• CENTCOM Commander Lauds Iraq's Repatriation of al-Hol Residents CENTCOM 18 Jan 2023 -- On Jan. 14, 142 Iraqi families comprising 580 people formerly residing at the al-Hol camp for displaced persons in northeast Syria were escorted by Iraqi officials to the Jeddah-1rehabilitation center. This is part of an ongoing Iraqi government and international effort to repatriate, rehabilitate and reintegrate more than 25,000 Iraqi al-Hol residents.
• Rohingya settlement on Bangladesh-Myanmar border torched amid fighting Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- A settlement of about 3,000 Rohingya refugees on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border was burnt to the ground Wednesday after an hours-long gunfight between Rohingya militant groups that left at least one person dead, sources said.
• Junta shelling kills 1, injures 3 in Shan state Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- A 33-year-old woman died and three men were injured when junta troops fired heavy artillery at an internally displaced persons' camp in Myanmar's eastern Shan state.
• Refugees Flee to India Amid Military Airstrikes in Myanmar VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Hundreds of refugees are fleeing to safety in India as the Myanmar military intensifies airstrikes in Chin state in Myanmar's northwest, a refugee aid group told VOA on Wednesday.
• Blinken Consults With Pashinian On Restarting Bilateral Talks With Azerbaijan RFE/RL 18 Jan 2023 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on January 18 with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to discuss steps to restart bilateral talks with Azerbaijan amid escalating tensions over a blockade of the only direct access road to the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan US Dept. of State 18 Jan 2023
• Negative trends prevail in Occupied Palestinian Territory; human toll 'devastating': Senior UN Official UN News 18 Jan 2023 -- The world's collective priority for the Occupied Palestinian Territory must be reversing the negative trajectory that marked 2022 as one of the deadliest years in recent memory, the senior UN official in the region told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• The UK opposes all unilateral actions that will make Israeli-Palestinian peace harder to achieve: UK Statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 18 Jan 2023 -- Statement delivered by Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council briefing on MEPP
• Sri Lanka must ensure compensation for victims of 2019 terrorist attacks UN News 18 Jan 2023 -- Sri Lanka must fully compensate victims of the Easter Sunday 2019 terrorist attacks, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday, following a recent decision by the country's top court.
• Cameroon Deploys Troops to Nigerian Border after Separatists, Herders Clash VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Cameroon's government deployed at least 100 troops Wednesday to Gayama, a village on the border with Nigeria, after clashes between Cameroonian separatists and Nigerian herders left at least 12 people dead.
• Study: Somali People 'Highly Traumatized' After Years of Conflict VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- People in Somalia are highly traumatized due to political instability, prolonged violence and humanitarian crisis, a new health study said.

News Reports

• Founder and Majority Owner of Cryptocurrency Exchange Charged with Processing Over $700 Million of Illicit Funds US Dept. of Justice 18 Jan 2023 -- The founder and majority owner of a cryptocurrency exchange, Bitzlato Ltd. (Bitzlato), was arrested last night in Miami for his alleged operation of a money transmitting business that transported and transmitted illicit funds and that failed to meet U.S. regulatory safeguards, including anti-money laundering requirements.
• Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks on Founder and Majority Owner of Cryptocurrency Exchange Charged with Processing Illicit Funds US Dept. of Justice 18 Jan 2023
• Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Delivers Remarks on Founder and Majority Owner of Cryptocurrency Exchange Charged with Processing Illicit Funds US Dept. of Justice 18 Jan 2023
• US Arrests Russian Founder of China-Based Crypto Exchange VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- United States law enforcement officials said on Wednesday that they've arrested the Russian founder of a China-based cryptocurrency exchange, disrupting an online platform used by criminals on the darknet.
• Visiting Obukhov Plant President of Russia 18 Jan 2023 -- Vladimir Putin visited the Obukhov Plant, part of Almaz-Antey Aerospace Defence Corporation. The President talked with plant workers.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at the news conference on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2022, Moscow, January 18, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 18 Jan 2023
• Highlights of Lavrov's Big Presser: From West's Colonialist Mindset to Ukraine 'Hybrid War' & Beyond Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a press conference on January 18 on the results of Russia's foreign policy in 2022. While the West tries to pin the blame for the unfolding global crisis on Russia, the crisis started taking shape long before Moscow began its special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, Lavrov stressed.
• Lavrov: US Bill Countering Russia in Africa Represents 'Colonial Mentality' Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- The US House of Representatives approved a "Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act" in mid-2022, paving the way for the US administration to punish African governments for maintaining ties with Russia. US lawmakers claimed that Moscow's activities in Africa could "undermine United States objectives and interests."
• Lavrov's Comparison Of West's Approach To Russia With Holocaust Is 'Truly Offensive,' Says White House RFE/RL 18 Jan 2023 -- White House national-security spokesman John Kirby has sharply rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for a comment that compared the coalition of countries backing Ukraine with the Nazis' 'final solution' to eradicate the Jews.
• Remarks by Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo on Action Against Russian Illicit Finance US Treasury 18 Jan 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an order identifying the virtual currency exchange Bitzlato Limited (Bitzlato) as a "primary money laundering concern" in connection with Russian illicit finance pursuant to section 9714(a) of the Combatting Russian Money Laundering Act, as amended.
• How Russia Diversifies & Expands Its Gas and Oil Supplies Despite Western Pressure Sputnik 18 Jan 2023 -- Russia's natural gas supplies to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline jumped from 10.39 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2021 to 15.5 bcm in 2022. Russia is planning to raise pipeline gas deliveries to China to 38 bcm annually by 2025. What message does this trend send to western sanctions designers?
• Russia's oil output up 2 pct in 2022 despite sanctions People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the country's oil production increased by 2 percent over the past year despite Western sanctions, according to the Kremlin.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on January 18, 2023 PRC MofA 18 Jan 2023
• The West, Debt and Other Takeaways From Chinese Foreign Minister's Africa Trip VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- China's new Foreign Minister Qin Gang wrapped up his first international tour to Africa this week, during which he visited five diverse countries — Ethiopia, Gabon, Benin, Angola and Egypt — and stressed that China does not see the continent as an arena for a power struggle between the West and Beijing.
• READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Bilateral Meeting with People's Republic of China (PRC) Vice Premier Liu He US Treasury 18 Jan 2023
• Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Bilateral Meeting with People's Republic of China Vice Premier Liu He US Treasury 18 Jan 2023
• US, China Pledge To Resolve Climate Financing Issues VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- U.S Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He pledged at a meeting Wednesday in Zurich to work together to resolve climate financing issues and keep the lines of communication open between the world's two biggest economies.
• Liu He-Janet Yellen meets in Zurich, a bilateral respite that would boost confidence for world economic recovery Global Times 19 Jan 2023 -- With the meeting between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday in Zurich, the ice between the world's two largest economies showed another sign of breaking, as the world's two largest economies attempt to soothe their relationship that has grown tense in recent months over technology access and other issues.
• China's top political advisory body adopts draft agenda, schedule for annual session People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- China's top political advisory body has approved a decision to hold an annual session and adopted a draft agenda and schedule for the event.
• Nation's population drops for first time in 6 decades People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- China's population dropped last year for the first time in about six decades, heralding a period of negative growth, but experts and officials said it would not immediately affect the strength of the nation's labor force, and the labor supply situation remains positive.
• China space keeps upbeat momentum, eyeing nearly 70 orbital launches in 2023: CASC blue paper Global Times 18 Jan 2023 -- China's state-owned aerospace giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) issued its annual blue paper on Wednesday, revealing nearly 70 launches to send 200 spacecraft into space this year, compared with the current record of more than 50 in 2022.
• Taiwan expresses 'grave concern' over Honduras-China envoy meeting CNA 18 Jan 2023 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Wednesday it had expressed "grave concern" after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina met with Chinese Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Xie Feng (謝峰) on Jan. 1.
• Electricity Production Increased in DPRK KCNA 18 Jan 2023 -- The electricity production is now going up in the DPRK.
• Meetings of Working People's Organizations Held in DPRK KCNA 18 Jan 2023 -- Officials and members of the working people's organizations in the DPRK held meetings in provinces (municipalities) to vow to carry through the decisions of the 6th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
• Measures for Ensuring Growth of Self-supporting Economy Taken in DPRK KCNA 18 Jan 2023 -- The metal industrial sector of the DPRK set this year's goal in an innovative way on the basis of the struggle line of the Party for bringing about a new change and development of Korean-style socialism, and is vigorously conducting the work for its implementation.
• Saudi FM says Riyadh trying to find path to dialog with Tehran, ease tensions Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says the kingdom is trying to find a path to dialog with Iran as the best way to resolve differences, amid a diplomatic process between the two neighbors aimed at mending strained ties.
• Tehran, Ankara declare readiness for holding 8th high commission of bilateral ties ISNA 18 Jan 2023 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about the upcoming visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Ankara, emphasizing the importance of the visit and declaring readiness for holding the 8th high commission of bilateral ties during President Raisi's trip to Türkiye.
• No undeclared nuclear site, activity in Iran: AEOI chief Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami says there is no undeclared nuclear activity or site in the country as already confirmed by the United Nations nuclear agency.
• Iran summons South Korea envoy over president's 'meddlesome' remarks Press TV 18 Jan 2023 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the South Korean ambassador to Tehran over the recent "meddlesome" comments by South Korea's president in the United Arab Emirates.
• Q&A: Iran Likely Grew Oil Exports by 35% in 2022, Data Company Says VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- London-based commodity markets data company Kpler tells VOA it believes Iran recorded a big increase in energy exports last year, even as the United States continued its policy of demanding a global ban on Iranian oil sales.
• Iran FM says nuclear agreement within reach if U.S. acts realistically People's Daily 18 Jan 2023 -- The Iranian foreign minister said on Tuesday that an agreement on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal is within reach if the United States stops setting new conditions and acts realistically, official news agency IRNA reported.
• US, Britain Pledge to Hold Iran Accountable for Violating its People's Rights VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- The United States and Britain said Tuesday they will hold Iran to account for violating the rights of its people, while reiterating condemnation of Iran's execution of a British Iranian national.
• Five Belarusian Activists Each Sentenced To 12 Years For Revealing Law Enforcement Data RFE/RL 18 Jan 2023 -- Five Belarusian activists have each been sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison in a high-profile case related to the creation of a social-media account that revealed the personal data of law enforcement officers involved in the brutal crackdown on protests over the results of the August 2020 presidential election.
• Humanitarian Aid: EU increases funding to €1.7 billion for 2023 European Commission 18 Jan 2023 -- As humanitarian needs continue to rise globally, the EU maintains its commitment to support those in need by adopting its initial annual humanitarian budget of €1.7 billion for 2023.
• New Zealand's Ardern announces resignation as prime minister ahead of election Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand politician whose empathetic leadership style inspired people worldwide, said she will step down as prime minister of the South Pacific country.
• Health official sacked as Viet A investigation continues Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- The Communist Party Committee in southern Vietnam's Kien Giang province has removed the director of the provincial health department from all his positions, as an investigation into the bidding for substandard COVID-19 test kits continues.
• Vietnam National Assembly approves removal of President Phuc after COVID scandals Radio Free Asia 18 Jan 2023 -- Vietnam's parliament on Wednesday approved the removal of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc over COVID-19 bribery scandals that took place during his term, state media in the communist country reported.
• Vietnam's Anti-Corruption Drive Claims President VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Vietnam's anti-corruption drive is expected to continue following the "forced" resignation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc amid public distrust that has emerged with a series of scandals involving his subordinates and their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Guatemala: Protect judicial staffers fighting impunity and corruption UN News 18 Jan 2023 -- The UN human rights chief on Wednesday appealed for greater protection for justice officials in Guatemala who are being persecuted for fighting impunity or working on anti-corruption cases.
• Malawi President Fires Prosecution for Abuse of Office VOA 18 Jan 2023 -- Malawi's president fired the director of public prosecution, Steven Kayuni, for allegedly abusing his office to avenge what he saw as a personal slight.