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Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Letter to the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) The White House 27 Dec 2023
• Iraqi resistance targets US military bases in Iraq, Syria in retaliatory strikes Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Iraqi resistance fighters have launched two separate attacks against US military bases in western Iraq and neighboring Syria over Washington's support for the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
• Drone attack hits US base in northern Iraq IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Iraqi resistance groups have conducted a drone attack on a US base in the north of the country, the latest in a series of operations in retaliation for Washington's support of the Israeli regime in its brutal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
• Iraqi Shiite militia claims rocket attack on U.S. base in Syria People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- An Iraqi Shiite militia on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a rocket barrage on a U.S. military base in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Fact Sheet: Department of Defense Concludes 'Decisive Year' in the Indo-Pacific Region DoD 27 Dec 2023 -- Throughout 2023, the United States has worked alongside allies and partners to deliver groundbreaking achievements for peace, stability, and deterrence in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. As Secretary Austin has said, "In this decisive decade, 2023 will be remembered as a decisive year for implementing U.S. defense strategy in Asia."
• Turkiye Inching Toward Final Vote on Sweden's NATO Bid After Key Committee Backing Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- Turkiye's Foreign Affairs Committee has endorsed Sweden's bid, setting the stage for a final vote in the Turkish Parliament as Sweden aimed at meeting Ankara's conditions for approval.
• Turkish parliamentary committee okays Sweden's NATO bid People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday approved Sweden's NATO bid following deliberation, a first step necessary for putting it to a full parliament vote.
• Russian Aerospace Forces launch Soyuz-2.1v rocket carrier from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Russia MoD 27 Dec 2023
• Russian Army Receives First Batch of New Kalashnikov Sniper Rifles Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- The state-of-the-art marksman rifle recently adopted by Russia's military has been successfully tested in the Ukrainian conflict zone.
• Russian Defense Sector CEO Shoots Down Myth of Western 'Military Superiority' Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- Recent reports from the special op zone have shown that Russian troops continue to advance, thereby expanding their areas of control on all fronts.
• Russia Unveils New Supercam Kamikaze Drones Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- Sergey Chemezov, head of the Rostec state corporation, told Sputnik about the key advances in Russian military technologies and explained how they will affect the course of the special military operation.
• Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 The White House 27 Dec 2023
• Biden Administration Announces New Security Assistance for Ukraine DoD 27 Dec 2023 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.
• DOD Announces Aid Package for Ukraine DoD News 27 Dec 2023 -- The Defense Department today announced a security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to $250 million.
• Biden Administration Announces Additional U.S. Military Assistance for Ukraine US Dept. of State 27 Dec 2023 -- The United States is announcing the year's final package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine. Our assistance has been critical to supporting our Ukrainian partners as they defend their country and their freedom against Russia's aggression.
• US Announces Last Authorized Military Aid for Ukraine VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- The Biden administration announced Wednesday the final drawdown of weapons and military equipment for Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles under the existing presidential authorization, with future assistance for Kyiv up to Congress.
• U.S. Announces Final Drawdown Of Military Aid For Ukraine, Future Assistance Up To Congress RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- The United States on December 27 announced the final drawdown of weapons and military equipment for Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles under existing presidential authorization.
• US Announces 'Final' $250 Million Ukraine Aid Package for 2023 Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- The latest aid package is part of the US' continued drawdowns via the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows the administration to bypass the congressional greenlight.
• Xi Jinping appoints China's top naval commander Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping has promoted two senior officers to generals, including Hu Zhongming, who was named the top commander of the country's navy for the first time, Xinhua News Agency said.
• Army to set up five missile units across Iran: Cmdr. IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- The Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force has said it plans to establish five missile divisions in different critical locations inside the country.
• Iran Army Ground Force to unveil two new missiles, set up 5 missile units in sensitive locations: Cmdr. Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Force says the force plans to showcase two new homegrown missiles within the next few months, and set up five missile units at sensitive locations across the country.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan US Dept. of State 27 Dec 2023
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Manalo US Dept. of State 27 Dec 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 27, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari December 27th, 20:45 Israel Defense Forces 27 Dec 2023
• Statement by IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, December 27th, 2023 Israel Defense Forces 27 Dec 2023
• Statement by the IAF Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Omer Tischler, Addressing Misleading Claims in the Media, December 27th, 2023 Israel Defense Forces 27 Dec 2023
• PM Netanyahu on Turkish President Erdogan's Remarks Israel - Prime Minister 27 Dec 2023 -- "Erdogan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds and who holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can preach morality to us."
• Israeli Airstrikes Pound Central, Southern Gaza VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes Wednesday, mainly across the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, while it continued ground operations and airstrikes in Gaza City in the north.
• Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza City VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Israeli forces carried out fresh airstrikes Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, a day after comments from Israeli officials about expanding ground fighting sparked concern from the United Nations about the safety of civilians.
• Dec. 26: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 27 Dec 2023
• Gaza death toll crosses 21,000 IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- The death toll from Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza has reached 21,110 since the regime waged its war on the Palestinian territory on October 7, the Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Wednesday.
• Israel expands ground offensive in central Gaza, UN warns of "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- Israel declared on Tuesday the expansion of its ground offensive in the central Gaza Strip, as the United Nations warned that the escalation of attacks is exacerbating a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.
• Over 4,000 Gaza students killed in Israeli bombardment since October 7: Ministry Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Palestinian Ministry of Education says at least 4,037 students and 209 educational staff have been killed since the start of Israel's brutal aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7.
• Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 20,915: ministry People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- At least 20,915 Palestinians have been killed, and 54,918 others wounded in the Israel-Hamas conflict since Oct. 7, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said Tuesday.
• WHO teams deliver supplies to hospitals in Northern and Southern Gaza WHO 27 Dec 2023
• Gaza crisis: southern areas 'bursting at seams' amid new wave of bombing and displacement UN News 27 Dec 2023 -- Aid missions to supply Gaza have become increasingly difficult amid reports of continued heavy bombing of the Strip overnight by the Israeli military and intense clashes "in most areas" with Hamas fighters, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday.
• WHO and partners deliver aid to two Gaza hospitals in high-risk missions UN News 27 Dec 2023 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners delivered fuel and other essential supplies to two hospitals in northern and southern Gaza this week, the UN agency reported on Wednesday.
• Numerous bodies buried under rubble; Israeli strikes 'gravely concerning': UN Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has expressed deep concern over Israel's deadly airstrikes on central areas of the Gaza Strip amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory.
• UN chief appoints Sigrid Kaag as senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday appointed Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as the senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza.
• 'Level of horror in Gaza is unmatched in our lifetime': UN Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in occupied Palestinian territories says the level of oppression Palestinians have experienced in Gaza is unmatched and unprecedented in recent history.
• Statement from National Security Advisor Sullivan Welcoming Appointment of Sigrid Kaag as UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza The White House 27 Dec 2023
• Biden Struggles to Contain Israel-Hamas War as Conflict Spreads on Multiple Fronts VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- As the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expands its ground offensive in Gaza, Iran's threats of retaliation over the airstrikes that killed a senior military officer and continued attacks from Tehran-backed groups in the region are increasing the likelihood of an all-out war in the Middle East. It is a risk U.S. President Joe Biden cannot afford as he heads into an election year in 2024.
• Netanyahu is 'no different' than Adolf Hitler, Turkey's president says Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in the war-torn Gaza Strip are "no different" than those of Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler.
• Prolonged Gaza war leads to growing risks of wider regional conflict Global Times 27 Dec 2023 -- Chinese experts raised concerns on Wednesday about the growing risks of a wider conflict in the Middle East, as Israel's military chief warned that its war on Hamas will likely last for months. Experts said that it is hard to predict when the war will end, but that a prolonged war will be increasingly detrimental to Israel.
• Jordan's King Abdullah, Egypt's Sisi reject any Israeli move to expel Palestinians from Gaza, West Bank Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Jordan's King Abdullah and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have firmly rejected any Israeli move to expel Palestinians from the besieged Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.
• Israeli Forces Kill 6 People in West Bank VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Israeli forces killed six people Wednesday during a raid in the occupied West Bank.
• Six Palestinians killed in Israeli drone strike on West Bank refugee camp Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- At least six young Palestinian men were killed in an Israeli drone strike in the West Bank, as violence escalates in the occupied territory concurrent with the Tel Aviv regime's relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
• Biden has blood of Gaza children on hands; Netanyahu only succeeds in massacre: Hamas Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- US President Joe Biden's hands are soaked in the blood of Palestinian children in Gaza, says a senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
• Hamas remains 'resilient', reconstituting capabilities despite Israeli war: US think tanks Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has proved to be "resilient" on the battlefield despite suffering losses in the devastating Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, war monitors say.
• Hezbollah targets Israeli military headquarters in occupied lands IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has targeted an Israeli command headquarters in the northern parts of the occupied territories.
• Hezbollah strikes Israeli positions after three killed in southern Lebanon airstrike Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement have launched a volley of rockets at Israeli military positions in the northern flank of the 1948-occupied territories, after an Israeli airstrike on a southern Lebanese border town killed three people.
• IDF to Push Hezbollah Away From Border If Lebanon, Other Countries Fail to Do So Sputnik 27 Dec 2023 -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will push Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah away from the northern border if Lebanon's authorities and other countries fail to do so as time for diplomatic solutions is running out, Israel's National Unity Party head and war cabinet member, Benny Gantz, stated on Wednesday.
• Yemen warns US against 'militarization' of Red Sea as tensions spike over Gaza IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Yemen has warned the United States against military activities in the Red Sea, pledging a severe blow in case that crimes against Palestinians continue or Yemen's security is harmed.
• Yemen says will inflict 'harshest blow' if US-backed Israel continues Gaza war Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Yemen has warned Israel of a very harsh response if the genocidal war on Gaza continues.
• Yemen's Houthis claim fresh attacks on cargo ship in Red Sea, Israeli city People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- Yemen's Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed responsibility for fresh attacks on a commercial ship in the Red Sea and on the Israeli city of Eilat in the northern part of the Red Sea.

Other Conflicts

• Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Conducts Maritime Operations in South China Sea US Navy 27 Dec 2023 -- U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 led by its flagship, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), is operating in the South China Sea following a successful scheduled port visit to the Republic of Singapore.
• US aircraft carrier activity adds fuel to South China Sea tensions Global Times 27 Dec 2023 -- A US aircraft carrier has reportedly entered the South China Sea in a move experts said on Wednesday sends a wrong signal to the Philippines amid the Southeast Asian country's repeated provocations on Chinese islands and reefs in the region.
• Taliban Closes Education Ministry Department, Creating Uncertainty For Thousands RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- The Taliban's hard-line Islamist government in Afghanistan has eliminated the Monitoring and Evaluation Department in the Education Ministry, a move that threatens the jobs of more than 5,000 people in Kabul and across the country and further erodes secular education in Afghanistan.
• Pakistan Expels Some Afghans Waiting For U.S. Resettlement RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- Pakistan has sent scores of Afghans back to their country despite their possessing documents confirming they are being considered for resettlement to the United States.
• Philippines actions in South China Sea extremely dangerous, ignoring China's goodwill, restraint People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- Recently, the Philippines has repeatedly stirred up trouble in the South China Sea, continuously infringing on China's sovereignty, making provocative moves in the waters of Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Qundao, and spreading disinformation to smear China.
• Junta attack kills 8 civilians, injures 25 in Myanmar's Laukkaing city Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Junta's recent deployment of heavy weaponry in Laukkaing, a city within the Kokang Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar's Shan State, has resulted in the death of eight civilians and left 25 others injured, according to the anti-junta Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Tuesday.
• Indonesia urged to protect refugees following mob attack UN News 27 Dec 2023 -- The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has appealed for action in the wake of a mob attack against refugees in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Wednesday.
• Crowd of Indonesians storms Rohingya shelter, demanding refugees be deported Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Hundreds of students stormed a temporary shelter for Rohingya in Indonesia's western Aceh province on Wednesday demanding they be deported, in an escalation of the campaign against the refugees, a U.N. agency and local media reported.
• Fighting in Rakhine threatens Chinese-backed infrastructure projects Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Intense fighting between junta troops and an ethnic army in western Myanmar's Rakhine state has threatened to disrupt Chinese-backed infrastructure projects that are part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Hundreds of vulnerable children evacuated for second time as Sudan war continues to put millions of children at risk UNICEF 27 Dec 2023 -- 253 babies and children have been safely evacuated from transit centres in Wad Madani, Sudan to a safer location in the country, after fighting in Al Jazirah state erupted this month. For many of the children, this is the second time they have been evacuated after they were evacuated from Mygoma orphanages in Khartoum earlier in the year following the outbreak of the war in April.
• High-Stakes Sudan Peace Talks Postponed for 'Technical Reasons' VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the highly anticipated face-to-face meeting between the top commanders of the warring Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces was postponed for "technical reasons," Djibouti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.
• Abkhazia OKs Handing State Resort Over To Russia, Triggering Protests RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- The de facto leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, on December 27 signed into law a controversial deal with Moscow under which a Black Sea resort will be transferred to Russia -- a move that sparked spontaneous protests after it was approved by Abkhazia's de facto parliament in an overnight session.
• Raksha Mantri visits border areas of J&K; Reviews security situation along LoC India PIB 27 Dec 2023 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh visited the border areas of Jammu & Kashmir and took stock of the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) on December 27, 2023
• Iran FM hopeful lasting peace in Caucasus within reach in coming months Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Iran's foreign minister expresses optimism that a lasting peace in the South Caucasus region can be established in the coming months through the 3+3 format to put an end to long-running tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
• Death Toll Rises to 150 Following Christmas Eve Attack in Nigeria VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- The death toll in Nigeria's Christmas Eve attacked by armed gangs has risen to 150, Plateau state officials said Wednesday, while survivors and observers expressed outrage at the government's reaction.

News Reports

• 'Act on the lessons of COVID-19', Guterres says on Epidemic Preparedness Day UN News 27 Dec 2023 -- The world must prepare for the next pandemic and act on lessons learned from COVID-19, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message on Wednesday to mark the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
• Excerpts from the briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 27, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 27 Dec 2023
• State Council meeting President of Russia 27 Dec 2023 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the State Council on increasing the role and prestige of teachers and mentors in the St George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Moscow, December 27, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 27 Dec 2023
• Meeting with Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar President of Russia 27 Dec 2023 -- Vladimir Putin met with Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Kremlin.
• Marking Five Years Since Paul Whelan's Wrongful Detention US Dept. of State 27 Dec 2023 -- December 28 marks five years since Russian authorities wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan.
• Russia In Africa: Coups, Anti-Western Messaging Offset Setbacks From Ukraine War, Prigozhin's Demise RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- When Wagner mercenary force founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a fiery plane crash in August, exactly two months after leading a rebellion that challenged President Vladimir Putin's 24-year grip on power, it cast a thick cloud over the future of Russia's footprint in Africa.
• 'Polar Wolf': The Harsh Prison Where Navalny Was Sent And How His Team Found Him RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- Known as "Polar Wolf," the strict-regime prison to which opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has been sent is a place where a water cannon is an instrument of torture.
• Anti-espionage efforts of China against US spies 'essential, effective' Global Times 27 Dec 2023 -- US espionage and intelligence agencies that work to infiltrate other countries are complaining to the US media about the difficulties of their malicious undertakings against other countries' national security, in order to convince Washington's politicians and decision-makers to allocate them more resources and money. In other words, they are "pleading poverty," said Chinese experts on intelligence and security affairs on Wednesday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on December 27, 2023 PRC MofA 27 Dec 2023
• China sanctions US compliance firm over Uyghur research Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Beijing has sanctioned Kharon, a U.S.-based company that helps businesses comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans the import of goods made using forced labor in China's far-west.
• China deletes leaked stats showing plunging birth rate for 2023 Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Chinese censors deleted an article on Wednesday that reportedly leaked full-year population figures for 2023, revealing a plummeting birth rate despite ongoing efforts by the ruling party to encourage people to have families.
• China launches new satellites to enhance BDS-3 services People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- China on Tuesday sent two new satellites for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) into space successfully from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
• Xi: Advance cause pioneered by Mao People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- As the nation commemorates the 130th anniversary of the birth of Chairman Mao Zedong, the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a symposium on Tuesday in Beijing to pay respects to the great man who led the Chinese people to completely change their own destiny and the face of the country.
• CPC Central Committee holds symposium commemorating 130th anniversary of Mao's birth People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Tuesday morning held a symposium at the Great Hall of the People to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong.
• Revised books on Mao's articles and life chronicles published People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- Revised versions of a book containing articles by Mao Zedong since the founding of the People's Republic of China and a book chronicling Mao's life have been published by the Central Party Literature Press to mark the 130th anniversary of Mao's birth.
• China works to meet 14th Five-Year Plan targets People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- China will take various measures to ensure it meets the targets outlined in the 14th five-year plan for the 2021-2025 period, an official said on Tuesday.
• China firmly opposes U.S. signing into law national defense authorization act: spokesperson People's Daily 27 Dec 2023 -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that despite China's opposition, the United States passed and signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 that contains negative China-related content, and that China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this and has made serious demarches to the U.S. side.
• 'Troll' accounts taking cues from China state-affiliated media: Researchers CNA 27 Dec 2023 -- "Troll groups" attempting to shape online discourse about Taiwan's Jan. 13, 2024 presidential election appear to be taking cues from Chinese state-affiliated media, a research group said Wednesday.
• US urged to turn its non-support for 'Taiwan independence' commitment into action Global Times 27 Dec 2023 -- The Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council on Wednesday urged the US to stop arming the island of Taiwan, stop interfering in Taiwan's regional elections, and turn its commitment of non-support for "Taiwan independence" into concrete action.
• DPP's 'Taiwan independence' stance root cause for difficulty in ECFA-related issues： official Global Times 27 Dec 2023 -- The decision by the Chinese mainland to end tariff concessions for some Taiwan products is normal, and the determination of Taiwan businesspeople to invest in the mainland is unlikely to change, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference on Wednesday.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Dec. 27, 2023 ROC MND 27 Dec 2023
• 5,000 military personnel unable to vote on election day: MND CNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Taiwan's military has said that measures will be taken to ensure the nation's 210,000 military personnel can cast ballots in the Jan. 13, 2024 presidential and legislative elections except for 5,000 individuals who will remain on duty.
• Possible Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing summit 'in discussion': report Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- South Korea, China, and Japan are reportedly continuing discussions to hold a trilateral summit - an initiative that Seoul and Tokyo see as an opportunity to send a unified warning to North Korea and curb its nuclear ambitions.
• 9th Plenary Meeting of 8th WPK Central Committee Held KCNA 27 Dec 2023 -- The year 2023 is a year that the whole Party and all the people have united around the great Party Central Committee and worked heart and soul to demonstrate the mightiness, solidity and invincibility of the DPRK with eventful victory and signal development. It has recorded heroic annual to be immortal in the history of the country, and fully proved that the dignity of a genuine power and the fame of a strong one are on the orbit of independence, self-sustenance and self-defence advancing unyieldingly.
• IRGC to Israel: Await our revenge for commander's assassination Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- The spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iran will respond appropriately to the Israeli regime over the assassination of a senior military advisor in Syria, vowing to take revenge for the terrorist attack in different times and places.
• Iran: IRGC advisor's assassination violation of UN Charter, universal human rights Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva has vehemently condemned the israeli assassination of a senior Iranian military advisor in Syria as a blatant violation of the international law and human rights.
• Iran says Zionists' assassination of Iranian cmdr is violation of int'l human rights law IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva has said that the Monday assassination of an Iranian commander in a Zionist attack in Syria was a violation of international human rights law.
• Nothing new in Iran's nuclear activities: Nuclear chief IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Iran's nuclear chief says the country's nuclear activities are being carried out within the framework and regulations of the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA).
• US, E3 blocked JCPOA revival last year: Russian diplomat IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- A senior Russian diplomat has censured the United States and the European parties to the Iran nuclear agreement for blocking the revival of the US-abandoned accord.
• Iran's atomic chief: Nothing new in nuclear work, all activities in line with rules Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has dismissed new foreign media reports suggesting a spike in the level of uranium enrichment in recent weeks, saying Tehran's nuclear activities comply with international rules and regulations.
• Death Sentence For Iranian Protester Accused Of Murder 'Illegal,' Lawyer Says RFE/RL 27 Dec 2023 -- The death sentence for murder given to an Iranian man detained while taking part in last year's anti-regime protests is "illegal," a lawyer for victims' families has said.
• Iran, Iraq ink oil, gas MoUs IRNA 27 Dec 2023 -- Tehran and Baghdad have signed several memorandums of understanding to expand cooperation in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors.
• Iran reserves right to respond to Israeli assassination of senior advisor: Envoy Press TV 27 Dec 2023 -- Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations has written to the world body's secretary-general, vehemently condemning the Israeli regime's recent assassination of a senior Iranian military advisor in Syria.
• PM Netanyahu Speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron Israel - Prime Minister 27 Dec 2023
• Government Unanimously Approves PM Netanyahu's Compromise regarding the Date for Local Elections Israel - Prime Minister 27 Dec 2023
• Minister Sikorski's call with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan Poland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 27 Dec 2023 -- Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski spoke today by phone with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. The most important topics included prospects for economic and political cooperation between Poland and the UAE, and the security situation in the Middle East.
• Pakistan Under Fire for Mistreating, Rearresting Former Foreign Minister VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Pakistan's former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was rearrested on Wednesday and manhandled during the process shortly after being released on bail from a prison facility near the capital, Islamabad, in another case.
• Southeast Asia appears stuck in a history trap Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- The story Southeast Asia likes to tell itself is that, by the late 1990s, it had something like its "end of history" moment.
• Bangladesh's long and troubled history with elections Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- Bangladesh's birth as a nation in 1971 was violent, coming out of a war partly ignited by the then-Pakistani military government's refusal to honor the results of a democratic election.
• Candlelight Party tries to win over Nation Power Party Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2023 -- The Candlelight Party is urging the new Nation Power Party to join forces with it to form a stronger opposition alliance to the ruling Cambodian People's Party ahead of Senate elections in February, a former Candlelight official said Wednesday.
• Chad's President Pledges Respect of Referendum that Paves Way to Civilian Rule VOA 27 Dec 2023 -- Chad's Supreme Court will on Thursday declare definitive results of the country's constitutional referendum that paves the way for a return to civilian rule.