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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Joint Statement on Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the European Union, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on behalf of NATO, and a group representing 44 Allies and partner nations.
• HMS Diamond joins new international task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea UK MOD 19 Dec 2023 -- Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Diamond joins Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new international task force to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
• Canada to participate in United States-led Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN Canada 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, announced that Canada will participate in Combined Maritime Forces' (CMF) Op PROSPERITY GUARDIAN, a United States-led operation announced by the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New agreement strengthens defense cooperation between Denmark and the United States Danish Ministry of Defence 19 Dec 2023 -- The Danish government has negotiated a bilateral defense agreement with the United States, extending the possibilities for cooperation activities on Danish soil.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Virtual Conference on Red Sea Maritime Security DoD 19 Dec 2023
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting in Bahrain DoD 19 Dec 2023
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Visit to Qatar DoD 19 Dec 2023
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Call With Cypriot Minister of Defense Michalis Giorgallas DoD 19 Dec 2023
• Austin Lauds Key Partnerships in Middle East DoD News 19 Dec 2023 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III today praised the strong defense ties between the U.S. and Qatar as he met with senior Qatari leaders at Al Udeid Air Base in the Gulf nation.
• US Military Taps Use of Microwave Weapons to Neutralize Drone Threats Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- For now, the use of drone swarms gives smaller adversaries waging asymmetric war a unique advantage that US military contractors are working to counterbalance.
• MSC Reservists Support Operation Deep Freeze 2024 Loadout US Navy 19 Dec 2023 -- Navy reservists from Military Sealift Command Pacific's Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) 114 are conducting cargo operations in Port Hueneme, Calif., overseeing the loadout of supplies and equipment are being loaded onto the Military Sealift Command charter ship MV Ocean Gladiator in preparation for delivery to the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of the annual resupply mission; Operation Deep Freeze 2024.
• U.S., Finland sign defense cooperation agreement People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- The United States and Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) on Monday, enhancing military collaboration between the two countries by obligating Helsinki to open its military bases to U.S. forces and allowing the two militaries to conduct joint training, among other measures.
• Expanded meeting of Defence Ministry Board President of Russia 19 Dec 2023 -- The President arrived at the National Defence Control Centre of the Russian Federation to attend an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board.
• Russian Security Forces Have All Powers to Ensure Country's Defense - Putin Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- The Russian security forces have all the necessary powers to ensure the country's defense and the protection of the civilians, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated.
• Putin: Russian Nuclear Triad 95% Modernized Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- The activity of NATO has increased sharply in general, and US forces, including aircraft, have been deployed to the Russian borders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said while presiding over a Russian Ministry of Defense meeting on December 19.
• Russia says not party to US-led task force in Red Sea Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- Russia says it's not taking part in a new US-led operation aimed at focusing on the "security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."
• Russian Deputy Defense Minister's Visit to Niger to Boost Cooperation - Nigerien Minister Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- The visit of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Yunus-Bek Evkurov to Niger will strengthen cooperation between the two countries, Niger's military-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told Sputnik.
• Zelenskyy: Military Asking for Hundreds of Thousands More People to Be Mobilized VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his nation's military has requested an additional 450,000 to 500,000 Ukrainians to replenish his country's army as it fights Russia.
• President: Ukraine is working on developing a military component of security guarantees President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• President: We support the production of UAVs for the army and will produce 1 million FPV drones next year President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• President: We need justice and respect for our warriors in the issue of mobilization President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• On the instructions of the President, Ihor Zhovkva held the second round of consultations with the Netherlands on the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on security arrangements President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy: If we preserve our resilience, our morale, we will end the war sooner President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• President: Ukraine expects to receive long-term assistance from partner states President of Ukraine 19 Dec 2023
• Zelenskiy Expresses Confidence About Continuation Of Promised U.S. Support RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he believes additional military aid from the United States to fend off Russia's full-scale invasion will arrive soon despite indications that a massive spending bill for Ukraine won't pass the U.S. Congress by the end of the year.
• Ukraine Lost 383,000 Troops Since Special Op's Launch, Shoigu Reveals Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu provided an update on the progress of the special military operation and shared the key accomplishments of the Russian Armed Forces and the nation's military-industrial complex in 2023.
• Germany's Rheinmetall To Transfer Tens of Thousands of Shells to Ukraine in 2025 Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- The German armed forces (Bundeswehr) has ordered the national arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall, to produce tens of thousands of artillery ammunition for Ukraine by 2025, the company said on Monday.
• Readout of Assistant Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner's Trilateral Call With Japan and the Republic of Korea DoD 19 Dec 2023
• United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Ministerial Joint Press Statement DoD 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea announce that they have fully activated a real-time DPRK missile warning data sharing mechanism and jointly established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan.
• Deputy Special Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pak's Trilateral Call with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Gunn and Japanese Director General Namazu US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023 -- The United States is imposing sanctions today on a network of 10 entities and four individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong (PRC), and Indonesia, led by Iran-based Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, for facilitating Iran's procurement of sensitive goods, including U.S.-origin electronic components, for one-way attack UAVs produced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization.
• North Korea/DPRK: G7 Foreign Ministers' statement on the launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile European External Action Service (EEAS) 19 Dec 2023 -- "We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms North Korea's December 18 (local time) launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), following four previous ICBM launches this year as well as other launches using ballistic missile technology."
• DPRK/North Korea: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile EC/CEU 19 Dec 2023 -- The EU strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile on 18 December, for the fifth time this year, following the launch of a short-range ballistic missile the day before.
• DPR Korea urged to 'embrace diplomacy' after latest ballistic missile launch UN News 19 Dec 2023 -- Repeated long-range ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) represent a serious threat to international air and sea transportation, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
• Clear Display of DPRK Strategic Forces' Toughest Retaliation Will and Overwhelming Strength Launch Drill of ICBM Hwasongpho-18 Conducted KCNA 19 Dec 2023 -- Under the decision of the WPK Central Military Commission on neutralizing the enemies' intentional and premeditated confrontational military threats with our strong behavioral warning, a drill of launching ICBM Hwasongpho-18 was staged as an important military action to clearly show the DPRK's nuclear strategic forces' overwhelming counteraction will and matchless strength to the enemies..
• The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the DPRK's launch of yet another inter-continental ballistic missile: UK statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 19 Dec 2023 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.
• Canada acquiring Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for the Canadian Armed Forces Canada 19 Dec 2023 -- Through Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is acquiring modern military equipment to keep Canadians safe and protected, and to support the security of our international allies and partners.
• Swedish Defence Commission submits total defence report Government Offices of Sweden 19 Dec 2023 -- On Tuesday, 19 December 2023, the Swedish Defence Commission submitted its report on the state and further development of the total defence, with a focus on the civilian defence, to Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin.
• Pevkur: about a hundred truckloads of ammunition have arrived in Estonia this year Estonia MoD 19 Dec 2023 -- As an example of the rapid development of Estonia's military defence capabilities, the acquisition of large quantities of ammunition continued in 2023. At a press conference held Monday, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur revealed that about a hundred truckloads of ammunition have arrived in Estonia this year alone.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Foreign Minister Shoukry of Egypt US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby The White House 19 Dec 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 19, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 19 December 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Dec 2023

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari December 19th, 20:05 Israel Defense Forces 19 Dec 2023
• IDF and ISA Eliminate Subhi Ferwana, Prominent Hamas Financier Involved in Transferring Tens of Millions to the Hamas' Military Wing Israel Defense Forces 19 Dec 2023
• PM Netanyahu Speaks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Israel - Prime Minister 19 Dec 2023
• 40 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah, Jabalia as Gaza death toll nears 20,000 Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- At least 40 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in fresh Israeli air raids on residential buildings across the besieged territory.
• At Least 100 People Killed in Gaza From Israeli Strikes on Tuesday - Gaza Health Ministry Sputnik 19 Dec 2023 -- At least 100 people were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli strikes on Tuesday, a spokesman for the enclave's Health Ministry said.
• UN Security Council Delays Vote on Call for Broad Humanitarian Access to Gaza VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- Israel carried out fresh airstrikes Tuesday along with its ground campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, while the United States mobilized allies to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
• UN: Gaza is World's Most Dangerous Place for Children VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- A top U.N. agency says the Gaza Strip is "the most dangerous place in the world to be a child" as Israel's military bombardment of the territory kills and injures thousands of children and thousands more suffer from infectious disease and a lack of food, water and medicine in overcrowded, unsanitary hospitals and shelters.
• UNICEF Geneva Palais briefing note - Gaza: The world's most dangerous place to be a child UNICEF 19 Dec 2023 -- "The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. And day after day, that brutal reality is reinforced.
• 'Ten weeks of hell' for children in Gaza: UNICEF UN News 19 Dec 2023 -- Gaza is by far the most dangerous place in the world to be a child and deaths of youngsters from disease will likely surpass those from bombardment in the absence of a ceasefire, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
• Security Council continues negotiations on Gaza resolution calling for 'urgent suspension of hostilities' UN News 19 Dec 2023 -- Tuesday marked another intense day of diplomacy in the Security Council in New York, where negotiations continued to try and reach consensus on further unified action in response to the crisis in Gaza, more than ten weeks after terror attacks by Hamas plunged the Israel-Palestine conflict into an unprecedented phase of violence and devastation. Ambassadors have delayed the vote again, until Wednesday.
• UNRWA Situation Report #54 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (All information is valid as of 17-19 December 2023 at 22:30) UNRWA 19 Dec 2023
• Disease could kill more children in Gaza than Israeli bombings: UN official Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- A senior United Nations official has warned that more children in Gaza could die from diseases than from the Israeli bombings in the besieged Palestinian territory.
• Displaced inside prison: UNRWA says 1.9m Gazans forced out of homes by war Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- The UN Palestinian refugee agency says since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in early October almost 1.9 million have been internally displaced.
• US Plan to Empower Palestinian Authority in Gaza Faces Israeli Opposition VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- The United States is working on a postwar road map that envisions a "revamped and revitalized" Palestinian Authority ultimately taking over the Gaza Strip and becoming a credible partner for Israel for negotiation of a two-state solution.
• U.S. defense secretary visits Israel, urging more aid to reach Gaza People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during his visit to Israel on Monday that more aid needs to reach the Gaza Strip, where relentless Israeli bombardments and siege have caused a humanitarian crisis.
• Israel committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza: Iran's deputy FM IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying that the forced displacement by the Israeli regime of Palestinians in the besieged territory is a clear example of "ethnic cleansing."
• Al-Qassam Brigades launches missile attacks on Tel Aviv IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- The Palestinian resistance forces attacked the central areas of the occupied territories, including the city of Tel Aviv, in response to the crimes committed by the Zionist regime against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
• Hamas determination to fight occupation outweighs group's missiles: Senior official Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- A senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the group's will and determination to fight the Israeli occupation outweighs its tunnels and missiles.
• Hezbollah strikes occupied territories, warns Israel against targeting civilians in Lebanon Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- Hezbollah resistance movement says it has struck an Israeli settlement situated near the Lebanese border with the occupied territories in response to the regime's earlier attack on civilians attending a funeral procession in southern Lebanon.
• Joint Statement on Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the European Union, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on behalf of NATO, and a group representing 44 Allies and partner nations.
• Transit costs in Red Sea up 400% due to Yemeni attacks: Report IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- Yemeni Armed Forces' warnings to target ships bound to the Israeli-occupied territories have drastically driven up costs of shipping through the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a strategic sea checkpoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
• Yemen will confront US-led coalition in Red Sea: Official IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- A member of the political bureau of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement says the Arab country's armed forces will confront any US-led coalition in the Red Sea.
• Yemen acting independently regarding anti-Israel operations: Iran Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani says Yemen is an independent country and its operations against Israel come in response to Israel's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
• Yemen says will turn Red Sea into 'graveyard' after US announces maritime coalition Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- Yemen's defense minister has denounced the formation of a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect the passage of merchant vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories, cautioning the Western alliance that any assault on Yemeni soil will have dire consequences.
• Red Cross chief says humanitarian situation in Israeli-bobmarded Gaza 'untenable' Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), says she saw "a lack of everything" in the Gaza Strip during a recent trip to the Israeli-bombarded Palestinian territory.

Other Conflicts

• Increased funding for humanitarian response in Afghanistan Government of Norway 19 Dec 2023 -- 'I am pleased that we can increase our support to UN agencies operating at the border and inside Afghanistan. As winter looms, needs will increase, making sufficient humanitarian assistance even more critical. Norway remains committed to supporting the humanitarian response in Afghanistan', said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
• South China Sea coral reefs under severe threat: report Radio Free Asia 19 Dec 2023 -- Activities by countries claiming territory in the South China Sea have made a devastating impact on coral reefs, with vast areas being destroyed or badly damaged, a new report said.
• Anti-junta forces capture Myanmar border crossing gate Radio Free Asia 19 Dec 2023 -- One of Myanmar's powerful anti-junta armies has seized a key border gate from the military in a self-administered part of eastern Shan state, residents told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.
• Anti-junta forces set up satellite-based internet service in 60 areas Radio Free Asia 19 Dec 2023 -- Anti-junta forces have set up satellite-based internet access in more than 60 areas under their control in the Sagaing and Magway regions and in Karenni and Kachin states, officials from Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government told Radio Free Asia.
• Displacement crisis in Sudan deepens as fighting spreads UNHCR 19 Dec 2023 -- UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is concerned at the deepening forced displacement crisis in Sudan and neighbouring countries as hundreds of thousands more people flee from the latest fighting in Sudan's central Al Jazirah State, southeast of the capital, Khartoum.
• Concerns over spread of the war in Sudan Government of Norway 19 Dec 2023 -- Norway is deeply concerned by recent developments in the war in Sudan. The spread of the conflict to the eastern parts of Sudan by Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) advance on Wad Medani has dire consequences for the Sudanese civilian population, affecting hundreds of thousands.
• Can Kyrgyzstan And Tajikistan Consign Their Deadly Border Conflicts To The Past? RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- On the first anniversary of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan's deadliest border war, marked in September, irascible Kyrgyz national-security chief Kamchybek Tashiev aired his frustrations at the slow progress in talks aimed at demarcating the disputed frontier.

News Reports

• Justice Department Disrupts Prolific ALPHV/Blackcat Ransomware Variant US Dept. of Justice 19 Dec 2023 -- The Justice Department announced today a disruption campaign against the Blackcat ransomware group — also known as ALPHV or Noberus — that has targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims and caused harm around the world since its inception, including networks that support U.S. critical infrastructure.
• Readout of the Third Trilateral Fentanyl Committee Meeting between the United States, Mexico, and Canada The White House 19 Dec 2023
• COVID-19 vaccinations shift to regular immunization as COVAX draws to a close WHO 19 Dec 2023
• Foreign Ministry statement on response to the EU's twelfth package of anti-Russia sanctions Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 19 Dec 2023
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the defence cooperation agreement between Finland and the US Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 19 Dec 2023
• Owner of Kansas Company Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Scheme to Illegally Export U.S. Avionics Equipment to Russia and Russian End Users US Dept. of Justice 19 Dec 2023 -- Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 60, of Lawrence, Kansas, the owner and president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty today for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russian's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to sell and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on December 19, 2023 PRC MofA 19 Dec 2023
• Russian PM's China visit keeps cooperation momentum, break Western barriers Global Times 19 Dec 2023 -- High-level interaction between China and Russia will continue the momentum of cooperation, further deepen the economic bond between the two sides and help jointly cope with external interference, Chinese analysts said on Tuesday, as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin started a two-day visit to China.
• China's Youth Employment Struggles and Societal Trends in 2023 VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- After graduating from university in 2020, Gao Yu faced challenges securing stable office work in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China.
• Xi hears report from HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat Seng, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
• China's top economic planner begins preliminary study of 15th Five-Year Plan People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- China's top economic planner has begun its preliminary study of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, according to a national development and reform work conference held on Sunday and Monday.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Dec. 19, 2023 ROC MND 19 Dec 2023
• Cases of new COVID-19 variant remain low in Taiwan: CDC CNA 19 Dec 2023 -- The number of JN.1 COVID-19 variant cases recorded in Taiwan remains relatively low in Taiwan, currently making up only 3 percent of COVID cases detected in the last four weeks, the CDC announced Tuesday.
• Iranian National Charged with Unlawfully Procuring Microelectronics Used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles on Behalf of the Iranian Government US Dept. of Justice 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging Iranian national Hossein Hatefi Ardakani and co-defendant Gary Lam, who worked for a Chinese company, with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured dual-use microelectronics for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization's (ASF SSJO) one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.
• Imposing Sanctions on Those Supporting Iran's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Production US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on 10 entities and four individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia supporting Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production. This network, led
• Treasury Targets Procurement Network Across Middle East and East Asia Supporting Iran's UAV Program US Treasury 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on 10 entities and four individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia supporting Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production. This network, led by Iran-based Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, has facilitated the procurement of U.S.- and foreign-origin components worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (IRGC ASF SSJO) and its UAV program.
• US, Europe responsible for current situation of JCPOA: Iran IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- The ambassador and permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations has introduced the United States, the three European countries, and the European Union as those responsible for the current situation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• UN chief: Existing challenges of reviving JCPOA complicated IRNA 19 Dec 2023 -- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that existing challenges of reviving the Iran nuclear deal are complicated, yet the agreement remains the best option to ensure the peaceful nature of the country's nuclear program.
• Envoy: Iran ready to implement commitments in case of reviving JCPOA ISNA 19 Dec 2023 -- Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Islamic Republic of Iran to United Nations "Amir Saeid Iravani" said on Monday at a meeting of the UN Security Council that Tehran committed to It's obligations on enhancing peace and security in the region.
• Russian Diplomat: JCPOA has no alternatives ISNA 19 Dec 2023 -- "The Russian Federation is convinced that there is no alternative to the JCPOA. An early restart of the plan is the only way that meets the interests of regional and international security," he said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
• US needs to lift sanctions on Iran's oil for JCPOA to resume: UN chief Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the United States to lift or waive its sanctions against Iran's oil sector to resume the US-abandoned Iran nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Life Sentence of Former Iranian Official Upheld By Swedish Court RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- A Swedish Appeals Court on December 19 upheld the life sentence of Hamid Noury, a former assistant prosecutor at Gohardasht Prison in Iran, convicted last year for his role in the execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988.
• Swedish court upholds life sentence given to ex-Iranian official Press TV 19 Dec 2023 -- An appeals court in Sweden has upheld a life sentence given to a former Iranian official despite repeated objections from Tehran that the verdict is politically-motivated.
• Iranian Nobel Laureate Boycotts Latest Trial RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- Imprisoned Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has refused to attend a court hearing in a trial against her, calling the revolutionary tribunal "a slaughterhouse."
• Kazakh Ex-President's Nephew Denied Early Release RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- A court in the northeastern city of Oskemen on December 19 rejected a request for the early release of a nephew of Kazakhstan's former strongman president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, who was handed a six-year prison term on fraud and embezzlement charges last year.
• Indian Parliament suspends 78 more opposition lawmakers People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- As many as 78 federal lawmakers from different opposition political parties were suspended on Monday for the remaining part of the ongoing winter session for "repeatedly disrupting parliamentary proceedings."
• Egypt's Sisi wins presidential election with 89.6 pct of vote People's Daily 19 Dec 2023 -- Egypt's National Election Authority (NEA) declared on Monday that incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi won the 2024 presidential election with some 40 million, or 89.6 percent of valid votes.
• PM call with Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland: 19 December 2023 Gov.UK 19 Dec 2023
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk Prime Minister of Canada 19 Dec 2023 -- Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk.
• Serbia: Joint Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on the parliamentary elections European External Action Service (EEAS) 19 Dec 2023
• EU Election Monitor Slams Alleged Irregularities In Serbian Vote, Calls For Full Probe RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- A European Union election observer has condemned alleged irregularities in Serbian elections this weekend and called for a probe as the opposition accused the ruling populist party of committing voter fraud to secure its victory.
• Lao and Chinese border guards conduct joint border patrols Radio Free Asia 19 Dec 2023 -- Lao and Chinese border guards have conducted a joint patrol of the Lao-Chinese border in northern Phongsaly province this month, residents and the state-owned Laophattana Daily News said.
• Constitutional Referendum in Chad US Dept. of State 19 Dec 2023
• Bosnian Court President, Former Spy Chief Arrested On Suspicion Of Eavesdropping On Judges, Court Employees RFE/RL 19 Dec 2023 -- The president of Bosnia's state court and a former spy chief have been arrested on suspicion of using wiretaps to eavesdrop on state court judges and employees of the Bosnian State prosecutors' office who worked on certain cases and investigations.
• World News in Brief: DR Congo mission extended, Sudan displacement deepens, warzone death toll for journalists spikes UN News 19 Dec 2023 -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to renew the mandate of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year.
• Argentina Contemplates Major Economic Reforms, Including 'Dollarization' VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- Argentina's new leader, President Javier Milei, has embarked on a series of aggressive steps to refashion the country's economy since his inauguration on December 10, and according to senior officials in his administration, he is prepared to follow through with his promise to "dollarize" the country's economy.
• Six Bangladesh Opposition Activists Die in Custody VOA 19 Dec 2023 -- Six members of Bangladesh's largest opposition party have died in prison in two weeks, their relatives and leaders of the party said.