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Defense Policy / Programs
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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 05 Jan 2024
• Several soldiers injured in drone strike on US-occupied base in eastern Syria: Report Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Several US service members have been reportedly injured in a drone operation against a military base in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr as anti-US sentiments continue to rise in the region amid Washington's support for Israel's war on Gaza.
• Pentagon Confirms US Forces Conducted Strike in Iraq Against Militant Leader Abu Taqwa Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder confirmed on Thursday that US forces conducted a strike in Iraq targeting a Harakat-al-Nujaba leader for his role in attacks on US troops in the region.
• US Base Harir in Northern Iraq Attacked by Drone - Kurdistan's Counterterrorism Service Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- The US military base Harir near the city of Erbil in northern Iraq was attacked by a bomb-laden drone on Friday, Iraqi Kurdistan's counterterrorism service said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Secretary of Defense Austin DoD 05 Jan 2024
• Joint Staff J-6 Hosts Third SITE Summit, Strengthening Data-Centric Interoperability With Allies and Partners DoD 05 Jan 2024 -- The Joint Staff J-6 hosted the third Security Interoperability in the Tactical Environment (SITE) Summit in Suffolk, Virginia, convening Zero Trust experts from across the U.S. military, allies and partners to further efforts in accelerating data-centric interoperability in various tactical situations.
• Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences hosts IAMD dialogue with USEUCOM EUCOM 05 Jan 2024 -- The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences recently hosted a pivotal event last year, bringing together esteemed dignitaries, including two former Sweden Ministers of Defence, the Swedish Chief of Operations, and former Ambassadors who have played significant roles in shaping our shared security landscape.
• USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall transit to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea EUCOM 05 Jan 2024 -- The Wasp-class amphibious ship, USS Bataan (LHD 5), and the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship, USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), transited Dec. 28, 2023, from the Red Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, joining the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19).
• US Navy Pays Lockheed $1.15Bln More to Build New Maintenance Sites For F-35 Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- The US Navy has awarded a more than $1.15 billion contract extension to Lockheed Martin to create more maintenance and sustainment sites to ensure the operation of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleets of the US armed forces, the Department of Defense announced in a press release.
• US Air Force B-1 Bomber Crashes During Training Flight in South Dakota Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- The B-1 bomber is a nuclear-capable, jet-powered aircraft. With the largest payload of guided and unguided bombs, high speed and impressive handling, it is considered the backbone of the US bomber fleet. Of the 100 originally built, less than 60 remain in active service.
• Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Arrives in the Philippines US Navy 05 Jan 2024 -- Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Kidd (DDG 100) and USS Sterett (DDG 104) arrived in the Philippines for a scheduled port visit Jan. 5.
• USS Normandy transits through the Strait of Gibraltar US Navy 05 Jan 2024 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided missile destroyer USS Normandy, a part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (CSG) transited the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean on Jan. 5, 2024.
• USS Gerald R. Ford Transits the Strait of Gibraltar US Navy 05 Jan 2024 -- The U.S. Navy's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and embarked staff from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, transited the Strait of Gibraltar and exited the Mediterranean Sea after conducting operations in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Jan. 5, 2024.
• ONR-Sponsored Research Could Potentially Lead to Millions of New Materials US Navy Press Release 05 Jan 2024 -- Extraordinarily rugged with a melting temperature of several thousand degrees Fahrenheit. That describes the results of research into new ceramic materials sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and recently published in the Journal Nature.
• Adm. Kilby Assumes Role as Vice Chief of Naval Operations US Navy Press Release 05 Jan 2024 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti welcomed Adm. James Kilby as the 43rd Vice Chief of Naval Operations in a ceremony at the Pentagon, Jan. 5.
• Thunder Touches Down in Germany Army News 05 Jan 2024 -- At a Transfer of Authority ceremony, Task Force Thunder, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), Mississippi Army National Guard, took command of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JMTG-U) mission under 7th Army Training Command (7ATC) from Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), Arkansas Army National Guard, on Jan. 5, 2024.
• PM: Iraq decision to end US military presence 'irreversible' IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani has said that his country has decided to end the military presence of the US and the American-led international coalition on Iraqi soil, stressing that the decision is irreversible.
• Iraqi government prepares to end presence of US-led coalition 'permanently': PM Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani says his government is forming a committee to prepare arrangements for the permanent dissolution of the occupying US-led coalition's mission in the country.
• Ukraine De Facto Became NATO's Testing Ground for Digital Warfare Against Russia - Moscow Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- Artur Lyukmanov, the director of the Department of International Information Security of the Russian Foreign Ministry shared with Sputnik key insights into the US-backed cyber war against Russia being waged from Ukrainian territory.
• Russia's Remote-Controlled Armored Vehicles Pave the Way to Futuristic 'Robot Wars' Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- As the weapons fielded by Russia in the Ukrainian conflict zone continue to dazzle and dishearten Moscow's adversaries, it seems that a new Russian unmanned combat vehicle may soon undergo testing in battlefield conditions.
• Ukraine's No. 1 Priority: Delivery of Air Defense Systems and Missiles VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday Ukraine's No. 1 priority is delivery of additional air defense systems and missiles because many Ukrainian locations have been subjected to Russian shelling and missile and drone attacks.
• US Running Out of Money for Ukraine VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- In a stark warning Friday, President Joe Biden's top budget official said time is running out for lawmakers to replenish U.S. aid for Ukraine, with the decision bogged down in Congress over budget negotiations on immigration, where a deal has so far been out of reach.
• Germany Sends Ammo for Leopard Tanks, Marder Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- Germany has supplied another batch of military assistance to Ukraine, including ammunition for Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Skynex air defense system and other equipment, the German government said.
• INDIAN NAVY'S MISSION DEPLOYED PLATFORMS RESPOND TO HIJACKING INCIDENT IN THE ARABIAN SEA India PIB 05 Jan 2024 -- Indian Navy's Mission Deployed platforms responded swiftly to a maritime incident in Arabian Sea involving a hijacking attempt onboard Liberia Flagged bulk carrier
• Indian navy warship on move to tackle hijack situation People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- The Indian navy's INS Chennai warship has been moving towards a hijacked vessel to tackle the situation, Indian media reported on Friday.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Outgoing Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park US Dept. of State 05 Jan 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 5, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 5 January 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Jan 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari January 5th, 20:15 Israel Defense Forces 05 Jan 2024
• Israel says time for diplomatic solution with Hezbollah is "short" People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday the window of time for a diplomatic solution with Hezbollah is short.
• Jan. 4: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 05 Jan 2024
• Gaza death toll at 22,600 on 91st day of war IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- The death toll from Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 22,600 since the regime waged its war on the besieged Palestinian territory three months ago, the Health Ministry in Gaza has announced.
• Israel struck Gaza with 65k tons of missiles, bombs: Report Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- The Israeli regime has reportedly dropped more than 65,000 tons of missiles and bombs on the Gaza Strip during its ongoing genocidal war against the coastal sliver.
• Palestinian death toll rises to 22,438 in Gaza: ministry People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Palestinian death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip rose to 22,438 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, said the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Thursday.
• Intensifying conflict, malnutrition and disease in the Gaza Strip creates a deadly cycle that threatens over 1.1 million children UNICEF 05 Jan 2024 -- Children in the Gaza Strip face a deadly triple threat to their lives, as cases of diseases rise, nutrition plummets and the escalation in hostilities approaches its fourteenth week.
• Nearly 600 attacks on healthcare in Gaza and West Bank since war began: WHO UN News 05 Jan 2024 -- Hospitals and other vital medical infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank have been attacked nearly 600 times since war erupted in the enclave in response to the Hamas-led terror attack in southern Israel, the UN health agency said on Friday.
• The war in Gaza must end - Statement by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, 5 January 2024 UNOCHA 05 Jan 2024
• UN Aid Chief: Gaza War Must End VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said Friday that three months into Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, the territory has become uninhabitable and aid workers are left with the "impossible mission" of supporting more than 2 million people.
• Gaza has become 'a place of death and despair': UN Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief has strongly deplored the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been suffering under nearly three months of an unrelenting genocidal Israeli war.
• Blinken Begins Middle East Tour in Turkey for Gaza Talks VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Saturday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, during Blinken's latest trip to the Middle East and Europe aimed at ramping up diplomatic efforts over the Israel-Hamas war and preventing an expansion of the conflict.
• The situation in the Red Sea Government of Norway 05 Jan 2024 -- 'We are facing a very serious situation in the Red Sea. For the first time, ballistic anti-ship missiles have been used against civilian vessels. These are very advanced weapons systems. The indiscriminate attacks by the Houthi movement are unacceptable. Crews and innocent parties are exposed to mortal danger and suffer great economic and material losses', said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
• Lebanon files complaint to UNSC over Israel assassination of Hamas official Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Lebanon has lodged an official complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Israel's assassination of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in the capital Beirut.
• Palestinian government rejects Israeli regime's post-war Gaza vision Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- The Palestinian government has strongly rejected an Israeli scheme referred to as the regime's post-war Gaza vision, indicating that it is not open to the so-called "day after plan" for Gaza outlined by the Israeli regime war minister.
• Hezbollah pledges response to al-Arouri's assassination IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has promised revenge for the assassination of deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri by the Israeli regime.
• Israel conceals 'heavy losses' as Hezbollah operations 'very exhausting': Nasrallah Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- The secretary general of Lebanon's Hezbollah says Israel is concealing the "heavy losses" it has suffered in the war on the southern Lebanese border as the resistance movement's operations against the occupying regime are "very exhausting."
• Hamas urges int'l bodies to counter forced migration of Palestinians by Zionists IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on international bodies to confront the forced migration of Palestinians by the Zionist regime.
• US military buildup in Red Sea 'serious' threat to intl. shipping: Yemen Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement has cautioned that the US militarization of the Red Sea in an attempt to serve the Israeli regime will pose a serious threat to international shipping in the strategic waterway.
• UN 'very disturbed' by Israeli ministers' calls for Palestinians to migrate from Gaza Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said that he was "very disturbed" by Israeli calls for Palestinians to leave the besieged Gaza Strip, stressing that international law prohibits their forcible transfer.
• Yemen's Houthis reject 12-country joint statement condemning attacks on Red Sea People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Yemen's Houthi group on Thursday rejected a joint statement issued by 12 countries condemning Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, and vowed continued targetting of "Israel-linked commercial ships" in the waters.

Other Conflicts

• PLA extends patrol to maritime, aerial joint exercise in S.China Sea as US, Philippines scale down patrol amid tensions Global Times 05 Jan 2024 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) extended its two-day routine patrol in the South China Sea into a third day of joint exercises on Friday, in a move experts said displayed China's determination and capability in safeguarding national sovereign security and maritime rights, as the US and the Philippines reportedly scaled down their joint patrol in the region.
• Philippines hits back at China, says joint patrols with US not 'provocative' Radio Free Asia 05 Jan 2024 -- The Philippines on Friday defended its joint South China Sea patrols with the United States against a Chinese claim that they were "provocative," saying the maneuvers took place within its territorial waters and were consistent with international law.
• The Azadi Briefing: Conditions For Afghan Journalists Worsened In 2023 RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024
• Taliban's Hijab Arrests Further Alienate Afghan Women, Activists Say VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- The Taliban have arrested women for the first time in Kabul for wearing "bad hijab," which women's rights activists in Afghanistan say is an effort by the group to restrict women further and shut them out of public life.
• Ethnic army overruns junta command center in Myanmar's Kokang region Radio Free Asia 05 Jan 2024 -- Ethnic rebels have overrun a key military command center in northern Myanmar, taking control of the city of Laukkai and accepting the surrender of hundreds of soldiers, in what analysts called a stunning blow to the junta's grasp on power in the region.
• Myanmar anti-junta groups claim capture of military camp in Shan state Radio Free Asia 05 Jan 2024 -- Myanmar anti-junta armed groups, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and Mandalay People's Defense Force, say they have seized a junta military camp at a village in northern Shan state.
• UN food aid boost too little to undo past cutbacks, Rohingya say Radio Free Asia 05 Jan 2024 -- Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps said the partial restoration by the United Nations of food rations is inadequate because the lack of protein and nutritious food among basic items is having a significant impact on their well-being.
• Kosovo Allows Uncovered Serbian License Plates In Move To Improve Relations RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- Kosovo's government has decided to cancel a decision to put stickers on vehicles with Serbian license plates to hide their origin following a move by Belgrade last month to allow vehicles with Kosovar license plates to move freely in its territory from the beginning of this week.

News Reports

• Remarks by President Biden on the Third Anniversary of the January 6th Attack and Defending the Sacred Cause of American Democracy | Blue Bell, PA The White House 05 Jan 2024
• Trump's businesses received '$7.8mn' from foreign states during his term Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Donald Trump's businesses have received at least "$7.8 million in payments" from foreign governments during the term of the former US president in office, according to a Congressional report.
• Rewards for Justice: Reward Offer for Information on Hamas Financial Networks US Dept. of State 05 Jan 2024 -- The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of financial mechanisms of the Foreign Terrorist Organization Hamas.
• Spain Health Officials Reinstate Masks Rules in Some Areas VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- Spanish health officials in at least five regions of the country are reintroducing masks in health care facilities and recommending their use elsewhere as cases of flu and COVID-19 are seeing a post-holiday spike.
• CDC urges public to get XBB vaccine for fast changing COVID-19 CNA 05 Jan 2024 -- People should get at least one shot of the XBB vaccine due to the evolution of COVID-19 subvariants, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended on Friday.
• CPC leadership hears work reports People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Thursday held a meeting to hear a series of work reports.
• Top Party leadership hears series of annual work reports People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- A key meeting underlined on Thursday the need to uphold the Communist Party of China's overall leadership and focus on the most important political issue of advancing Chinese modernization as this year is a crucial year for fulfilling the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).
• China's Patriotic Education Law Further Cracks Down on Religious Freedom VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- China's new and sweeping Patriotic Education Law, which targets all types of education including religious teaching, officially went into effect on January 1. Church leaders say they are already struggling to adapt to the new guidelines.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on January 5, 2024 PRC MofA 05 Jan 2024
• China Foreign Minister: Healthy US-China Ties 'No Longer a Choice' VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- China's top diplomat said Friday cooperation between his country and the United States is no longer a choice but an imperative and called for a healthy development of China U.S. relations.
• Maldivian President Muizzu to pay first state visit to China Global Times 05 Jan 2024 -- Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is set to embark on his first state visit to China next week, with great expectations of bolstering pragmatic cooperation between the two nations, particularly within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. While India is closely monitoring this visit, analysts have urged it to refrain from adopting a zero-sum mind-set or Cold War mentality when assessing China's collaborations with South Asian countries.
• Certain countries spread 'genocide' rumors on Xinjiang, while turning blind eye to humanitarian tragedy in Gaza: Chinese FM Global Times 05 Jan 2024 -- Certain countries are obsessed with spreading rumors of the so-called ethnic genocide and forced labor in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while turning a blind eye to the current humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, which fully exposes their hypocritical double standards, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on a Friday press conference.
• Retracted study was based on unethically collected Uyghur DNA samples, experts contend Radio Free Asia 05 Jan 2024 -- The recent retraction of an academic journal article that discussed the genetic information of Uyghurs and Kazakhs in China's northwestern Xinjiang region has raised questions and concerns about ethical standards in scientific research, as people familiar with the study believe that genetic samples were obtained under duress.
• U.S. urged to stop bullying, restricting Chinese students in name of national security: spokesperson People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- China on Thursday urged the United States to stop bullying and restricting Chinese students in the name of national security, adding the U.S. needs to ensure the security and lawful rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars in the country.
• Cross-strait crisis rated as Tier 1 contingency in U.S. report CNA 05 Jan 2024 -- A potential crisis across the Taiwan Strait was rated as a "Tier 1 contingency" in a report by the United States Council on Foreign Relations released Thursday for the fourth straight year.
• Fresh indictment of South Koreans sparks war of words between DPP, KMT CNA 05 Jan 2024 -- The latest probe by South Korean authorities into alleged submarine technology leaks to Taiwan has sparked a spat between lawmakers of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).
• First-Time Voters Could Swing Taiwan's Election VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- More than a million young Taiwanese who just turned 20 will vote for the first time in this month's presidential election.
• Q&A: Taiwan AI Labs Founder Warns of China's Generative AI Influencing Election VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- China has ramped up efforts to influence Taiwan's January 13 presidential and legislative election in recent weeks, with some experts pointing to the dangers of disinformation campaigns created by generative artificial intelligence - which can produce text and other types of content.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Jan. 5, 2023 ROC MND 05 Jan 2024
• KPA General Staff Issues Report KCNA 05 Jan 2024 -- On the ratification of the General Staff of the KPA, units and sub-units in charge of the southwestern coastal defence under the 4th Corps of the KPA staged a naval live-shell firing drill into five districts with 192 shells by mobilizing 47 cannons of various calibers of 13 companies and 1 platoon force from 09:00 to 11:00 on January 5.
• North Korea launches artillery shells towards South's border islands Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- North Korea has launched over 200 rounds of artillery shells from its west coast towards the South's Yeonpyeong Island, prompting the south to give evacuation orders to island residents, according to Seoul's military.
• North Korea Calls for Expansion of Production of Missile Launchers VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the expansion of the production of missile launchers, a move he said is needed for a "military showdown" with South Korea and the United States, state media reported Friday.
• Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Inspects Major TEL Production Factory KCNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspected a major TEL (transporter erector launcher) production factory bringing about a great upsurge in production every day while remarkably raising the mental strength and patriotic enthusiasm of its employees, true to the idea of the December 2023 Plenary Meeting of the Party Central Committee.
• South Korea Orders Evacuation on Yeonpyeong Island Over North's Shelling - Reports Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- South Korea has ordered civilians of Yeonpyeong Island, which borders North Korea in the north, to evacuate to shelters amid "apparent signs of a military provocation" by Pyongyang, South Korean news agency reported on Friday, citing officials.
• Iranian cleric says Daesh created, backed by US, Israeli regime IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran's Friday Prayers Imam, has criticized the US and the Israeli regime for creating and supporting Daesh (ISIS), the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the latest terror attacks in the Iranian city of Kerman.
• 'Iranian security forces are gathering info on perpetrators of Kerman attacks' IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that the country's security forces are gathering information regarding the perpetrators of the Kerman terror blasts that killed 89 people on Wednesday.
• Iran armed forces to determine time, place of Kerman attacks' revenge: Pres. Raisi IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the time and place of reaction to the recent tragic terrorist attack in Iran's Kerman will be determined by the Iranian Armed Forces.
• Iran's Intelligence Ministry: 11 terrorists involved in Kerman attacks arrested Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry has announced the arrest of 11 terrorists suspected of involvement in the January 3 bomb attacks in the southeastern city of Kerman.
• Iran Interior Ministry official says both Kerman blasts were suicide bombings IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Political Affairs Majid Mirahmadi has said that both explosions, which killed dozens of people in Kerman on Wednesday, were suicide bombings.
• Some agents linked to Kerman terrorist blasts arrested: Iran Interior Min. IRNA 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said that some agents linked to Kerman terrorist attacks that left at least 89 people dead and scores more injured on Wednesday have been arrested.
• Iran arrests a number of suspects linked to Kerman terrorist blasts: Minister Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has announced the arrest of a number of suspects in connection with the terrorist bomb attacks of January 3 in the city of Kerman, where over 80 people were killed.
• Iran Says Several Suspects Detained Over Suicide Bombings As Country Mourns Victims RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- Several suspects have been detained in Iran in connection with the Islamic State-claimed deadly suicide bombings this week that killed at least 84 people during commemorations for a former Iranian commander as President Ebrahim Raisi joined mourners on January 5 for the funerals of some of the victims.
• Several Suspects in Terrorist Attack in Iran Detained - Interior Minister Sputnik 05 Jan 2024 -- Several people involved in the deadly terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Kerman have been detained, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Friday.
• Iran Moves To Seal Borders With Afghanistan And Pakistan After Deadly Blasts RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- Iran said it is shutting its vast borders with neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan to increase security after the twin bombing that killed at least 89 people in the southeastern city of Kerman on January 3.
• Xi sends condolences to Iranian president over serious terror attacks People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a message of condolences to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over the serious terror attacks in the country.
• Pakistani FM extends condolences to Iran over terrorist attack People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Pakistani caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has extended his country's condolences to Iran over the deadly terrorist attack in the country, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
• Deaths of twin bombing attacks in Iran rise to 89 People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- The death toll of a twin terrorist bombing in the southeastern Iranian province of Kerman rose to 89, the official news agency IRNA reported on Friday.
• Terrorist bombings rooted in Zionist grudge against Gen. Soleimani: Raeisi Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the cause of the terrorist bombings in Kerman can be traced back to the grudge that Zionists hold against top anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani as he jeopardized the plans to establish another Israel in the region by creating and backing Daesh terrorist group.
• Iran holds mass funeral, vows to find terrorists 'wherever they are' Press TV 05 Jan 2024 -- Iranians held a mass funeral for the victims of twin terrorist bombings in Kerman with a top Iranian military commander pledging to find the terrorists behind the attack "wherever they are."
• Iranian paramilitary commander says U.S., Israel "behind" Kerman blasts People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- An influential commander of Iran's paramilitary Basij forces said on Thursday that the U.S. and Israel "are behind the scenes" of a twin bombing near the tomb of a top Iranian general in Kerman, southeastern Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
• Xi sends condolences to Iranian president over serious terror attacks People's Daily 05 Jan 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a message of condolences to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over the serious terror attacks in the country.
• Myanmar's Annual Amnesty Criticized for Including Few Political Prisoners VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- In what has become a customary move to mark Myanmar's Independence Day on January 4, the military junta announced a mass amnesty, releasing nearly 10,000 prisoners. The action, however, was criticized by political and human rights activists who said it lacks political significance, with less than 100 political prisoners among those granted amnesty.
• Belarus Recalls Ambassador To Sweden Over Naming Of Envoy To Belarus's Democratic Community RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- Minsk has recalled its ambassador to Sweden over the appointment of Sweden's former ambassador to Belarus to serve as Stockholm's representative to the Belarusian democratic community abroad.
• Press conference - Sydney Prime Minister of Australia 05 Jan 2024
• "We will not allow our values to be undermined" Presidency of The Republic of Turkey 05 Jan 2024 -- Addressing the Ceremony for the Commencement of Duty of 6,992 Police Officers and the Commissioning of 1,573 New Vehicles, President Erdoğan said: "Just as we do not compromise our security, we will not allow our values and interests to be undermined, eroded or violated."
• "We will not allow our values to be undermined" Presidency of The Republic of Turkey 05 Jan 2024 -- Addressing the Ceremony for the Commencement of Duty of 6,992 Police Officers and the Commissioning of 1,573 New Vehicles, President Erdoğan said: "Just as we do not compromise our security, we will not allow our values and interests to be undermined, eroded or violated."
• Tajikistan's Media Landscape In Its 'Worse State' Since Independence, Watchdog Says RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- The media landscape in Tajikistan is in its "worst state" since the Central Asian nation's civil war in the 1990s as the country's authoritarian president, Emomali Rahmon, establishes himself as an "absolute power with no tolerance for dissent," a media watchdog said.
• U.S. Puts Baku On Religious Freedom Watch List As Commission Takes Dim View Of Belarus Law RFE/RL 05 Jan 2024 -- The United States has put Azerbaijan and three other countries on a watch list for engaging in or tolerating "severe violations of religious freedom" after Baku took over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• On the Human Rights Situation in Burundi US Dept. of State 05 Jan 2024 -- The United States is deeply troubled by President Ndayishimiye's remarks targeting certain vulnerable and marginalized Burundians.
• World News in Brief: Gaza relief 'an impossible mission', COVID spreading fast again, food prices fall UN News 05 Jan 2024 -- The UN's relief chief on Friday warned that "Gaza has simply become uninhabitable" and demanded Israeli forces and Palestinian militants start meeting their obligations under international law to protect civilian lives.
• Diplomatic Spats in East Africa Spark Conflict Fears VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- The Horn of Africa is facing two diplomatic crises. Somalia recalled its ambassador from Ethiopia and Sudan recalled its ambassador from Kenya. Both countries complain of alleged interference in their internal affairs and threats to their sovereignty.
• Vietnam's 'Bamboo' Diplomacy Hailed for Balancing Between US, China VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has hailed improved relations with the U.S. and China as significant gains in the country's "bamboo" diplomatic strategy of balancing ties with superpowers.
• Women Still Underrepresented in Bangladesh Politics VOA 05 Jan 2024 -- Although two women — Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia — served as prime ministers of Bangladesh for 31 out of 33 years since 1991, the representation of women in national politics is still negligible.