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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Suspected U.S. drone attack in E. Syria injures 2 Iran-affiliated fighters: war monitor People's Daily 08 Jan 2024 -- Two members of Iran-affiliated militias were seriously injured in an attack by a suspected U.S. drone strike in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zour on Sunday, a war monitor reported.
• Iran-backed militias escalate attacks on U.S. bases in Syria amid regional tensions People's Daily 08 Jan 2024 -- Pro-Iran militias have intensified their assaults in recent hours on U.S. bases in Syria, citing American support for Israel in the ongoing offensive in Gaza and the Israeli targeting of Iranian interests in Syria.
• Tens of rockets fired at US base in eastern Syria: Source IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- A US base in the Al-Omar oil field in the Deir Ez-Zor governorate in eastern Syria has been targeted by 30 rockets, media outlets has reported.
• First Drug Interdiction of the Year for CMF French-led Combined Task Force 150 US Navy 08 Jan 2024 -- A U.S. Coast Guard cutter operating under the French-led Combined Task Force 150 of the Combined Maritime Forces seized about $11 million worth of illegal drugs from a vessel while operating in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman, Jan. 5.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Secretary Austin's Health Status DoD 08 Jan 2024
• Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder Holds an Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Briefing DoD 08 Jan 2024
• Army Space Vision Supporting Multidomain Operations US Army 08 Jan 2024
• New Army space vision defines roles and missions US Army 08 Jan 2024 -- Today the Army released the Army Space Vision Supporting Multidomain Operations, which communicates to Army commanders, staffs, and other stakeholders the need to create and exploit space domain effects that enable successful Army operations. The vision also communicates the urgent need to invest more in space capabilities and formations.
• Georgia Guard Unit to Document US Central Command Operations Army News 08 Jan 2024 -- A Georgia National Guard unit is heading to the Middle East to document history on behalf of the U.S. Army.
• Austin Continues Recovery DoD News 08 Jan 2024 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has resumed the full duties of his office and remains in contact with senior advisors as he continues to recover after experiencing complications from a recent elective medical procedure, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said today.
• White House, Pentagon Reviewing Procedures After Defense Chief's Hospitalization VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- The White House and Pentagon said Monday they are reviewing the circumstances surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization last week and the lack of notification to White House officials that Austin had transferred authority to his deputy.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina host U.S. F-16s and JTAC training EUCOM 08 Jan 2024 -- The training event took place near Tuzla and was part of routine efforts by U.S. forces to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures with partner nation forces.
• Pacific Partnership 24-1 Concludes Fourth Mission Stop in Palau US Navy 08 Jan 2024 -- Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP24-1) concluded 16 days of medical, engineering, host nation outreach efforts, and humanitarian and disaster response in the Republic of Palau, closing out its fourth mission stop Jan 6.
• USS McFaul Returns Home from 8-month Deployment US Navy 08 Jan 2024 -- The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) returned to Norfolk, Va., Jan. 4, 2024 after an 8-month deployment to the Atlantic Ocean and U.S. 5th Fleet areas of operations.
• SECNAV Del Toro Delivers Remarks at the USNS Bethesda (EMS 1) Naming Celebration US Navy 08 Jan 2024
• SECNAV Del Toro Names Future Medical Ship USNS Bethesda (EMS 1), Honors Medical Legacy US Navy Press Release 08 Jan 2024 -- Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro honored the history and community of healthcare professionals of Naval Support Activity Bethesda, by naming a future Bethesda-class Expeditionary Medical Ship USNS Bethesda (EMS 1), during a ceremony at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Jan. 8.
• White House Pushes Defense Industries on Tech Help for Ukraine VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- White House officials met Monday with leaders from the technology and defense industry sectors to discuss how to give Ukraine cutting-edge U.S. equipment such as unmanned aerial systems or demining gear and support its bid to defend itself from Russia, according to U.S. National Security Council aides.
• China decides to sanction five U.S. defense industry companies People's Daily 08 Jan 2024 -- China has decided to sanction five U.S. defense industry companies, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.
• Taiwan planning next-generation indigenous jet fighters: President Tsai CNA 08 Jan 2024 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who is nearing the end of her final term in office, said Sunday that Taiwan is preparing to develop the next generation of indigenous jet fighters, to ensure continuity of her administration's national defense policy.
• Locally designed jet trainer prototype may be ready in 2028: Developer CNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Taiwan's main domestic aircraft developer said Monday it has completed the first stage of design for a military trainer aircraft destined to replace the Air Force's Beechcraft T-34C trainers, which are near the end of their service life.
• Expanding air-to-air refuelling support Australia DOD 08 Jan 2024 -- The Royal Australian Air Force has conducted air-to-air refuelling clearance trials with two United States Air Force (USAF) airframes.
• Four more NCC Units to be raised in J&K and Ladakh; Raksha Mantri approves proposal India PIB 08 Jan 2024 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to raise four more National Cadet Corps (NCC) Units in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
• The future of Sweden's security policy - speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström at the Folk och Försvar Annual National Conference Government Offices of Sweden 08 Jan 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al 'Ula US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024
• Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain The White House 08 Jan 2024
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby En Route Charleston, SC The White House 08 Jan 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts for January 11, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 8 January 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jan 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari January 8th, 20:45 Israel Defense Forces 08 Jan 2024
• Civil Service Commission Approves PM Netanyahu's Recommendation to Appoint Col. (Res.) Yaron Cohen as Director of the Hostages, Missing and Returnees Authority Israel - Prime Minister 08 Jan 2024 -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recommended that Col. (Res.) Yaron Cohen be appointed Director of the Hostages, Missing and Returnees Authority.
• Israel Refuses to Allow Civilians to Return to Northern Gaza Until More Hostages Released - Reports Sputnik 08 Jan 2024 -- The Israeli government will tell US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during meetings on Tuesday that Hamas must agree to a new hostage deal before Palestinians are allowed to return to northern Gaza, Axios reported, citing two senior Israeli officials.
• Jan. 7: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 08 Jan 2024
• Gaza death toll rises to 23,084: Health Ministry IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has reported that the death toll from the Zionist regime's attacks on the besieged enclave since October 7 has reached 23,084.
• More Zionists wounded in battles with resistance fighters in Gaza IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Casualties among invading Zionist troops in Gaza are mounting as Israel's Soroka Hospital on Sunday confirmed the arrival of eight more injured soldiers in the past 24 hours.
• Al-Qassam Brigades strikes Tel Aviv, its suburbs with barrage of missiles Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has launched a fresh round of strikes against the Israeli-occupied territories, targeting Tel Aviv and its suburbs in retaliation for the regime's genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Gaza crisis: another hospital facing dire shortages, warns WHO UN News 08 Jan 2024 -- On day 93 of the war in Gaza, amid reports of relentless and heavy Israeli bombardment, UN humanitarians issued new reports of "significant casualties, particularly among women and children" and pleaded for overwhelmed medical teams to be allowed to continue their lifesaving work.
• UN Experts Demand Accountability for Sexual Torture During Hamas' Terror Attack on Israel VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- Two United Nations rights experts demanded Monday that Hamas be held accountable for a multitude of alleged crimes, including sexual torture, during its terror attack on Israel October 7.
• WHO: 600 patients missing from Gaza's Al-Aqsa Hospital after Israeli hostilities Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has no information about the locations of hundreds of patients and health workers at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
• UNRWA says 142 staff members killed in Gaza since beginning of Israel's genocidal war Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says more than 140 members of its staff have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip amid Israel's unrelenting bombardment of the besieged coastal territory.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Kaag US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024
• Blinken in Israel Amid Push to Contain Gaza War VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for talks Tuesday, as he seeks to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading in the region and to push Israeli officials to do more to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
• US Reportedly Fears New Israel-Lebanon War After Netanyahu Struggles in Gaza Sputnik 08 Jan 2024 -- Senior IDF officers have reportedly already approved strike plans against the neighboring country where Israel is widely considered to have lost a war against Hezbollah in 2006.
• Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with President Herzog of Israel The White House 08 Jan 2024
• Operation Al-Aqsa Storm 'turning point' in Palestine's anti-Israel fight: Iran general Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movements' Operation Al-Aqsa Storm is a turning point in the Palestinian people's fight against the occupying regime, says Iran's highest-ranking military commander.
• Bolivia says will join South Africa's ICJ case against Israel for genocide in Gaza Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Bolivia says it will join South Africa in a legal case filed against the Israeli regime in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for committing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Hamas unhappy over Arabs' lack of action on Israeli genocide case at ICJ IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the Arab and Islamic countries to file a complaint against the Zionist regime at the Hague.
• Zionist assassination drive won't weaken resistance: Senior Hamas member IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The Israeli assassination of Hamas' Deputy Chief, Saleh al-Arouri will not weaken the resolve of the resistance, a senior member of the Palestinian movement said on Sunday.
• Hamas: Revenge is coming ISNA 08 Jan 2024 -- "The enemy will face a response from us that will teach it that the assassination will not weaken the Resistance," Hamdan said in a televised address.
• Israel assassinates Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- A senior commander of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon.
• Israel war minister threatens to turn Lebanon into Gaza amid rising tensions Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Israeli minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant has threatened to expand the brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip to Lebanon as tensions continue to escalate with Hezbollah across the border.
• Israel admits Hezbollah damaged strategic Meron base; says their capabilities 'concerning' Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The Israeli military has admitted that a strategic air base on Mount Meron was "seriously damaged" in a missile attack launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, amid growing concerns in Tel Aviv over the group's capabilities.
• US Intel Fears Hezbollah May Defeat Israel With Expanded Weaponry, Capabilities Sputnik 08 Jan 2024 -- An act of aggression in Lebanon could further damage Israel's reputation as it faces charges of genocide in The Hague this week.
• Hezbollah Field Commander Killed in Israeli Attack on Southern Lebanon Sputnik 08 Jan 2024 -- A field commander of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement has been killed during an Israeli air attack on southern Lebanon, various media reported on Monday.
• Iran strongly condemns assassination of senior Hezbollah commander IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the adventurous act of the Zionist regime in the assassination of the martyr Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, one of the jihadi commanders of the Lebanese Hezbollah.
• Hezbollah conducts missile attacks against Zionist bases IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah has carried out fresh missile attacks against Zionist bases in northern parts of the occupied lands, local media reported.
• Cessation of war in southern Lebanon depends on end of Gaza war: Hezbollah IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Deputy Chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement Sheikh Naim Qassem has underscored that the battle in southern Lebanon is in reaction to Israeli aggression against Gaza, so there would be no room for talking about a halt of the defensive war because it is the repercussion of the ongoing war on Gaza.
• Missile attack on Haifa a clear message to Israel: Iraqi resistance official IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- A spokesman for Iraq's Nujaba Resistance Movement has said that the Sunday missile attack on Israel's port city of Haifa sent a clear message to the regime and showed that the Resistance Front will never abandon its strategic goals in the region.
• Iraqi Resistance hits Haifa with cruise missile ISNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The operations of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against US presence and Israeli positions continue.
• Haifa strike not momentary, Resistance capable of more: Al-Nujaba spokesperson ISNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The spokesperson for the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement, Hussein al-Moussawi, touched on the targeting of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq for the occupied city of Haifa.
• Iraqi resistance group claims Haifa missile strike, warns Israel of more crippling attacks Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- The Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba resistance movement has claimed responsibility for the missile attack against Haifa, declaring that Israel should await more crippling attacks in retaliation for its bloody war on Gaza.
• Yemen's Ansarullah vows 'painful' response to US attack IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- A Yemeni Ansarullah official has promised a "painful" response to a recent attack by the US forces in the Red Sea that killed a number of Yemeni naval servicemen.
• Continued US support for Israel could explode region: Yemen's Ansarullah IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Spokesman of Yemen's ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement Muhammad Abd al-Salam has warned that United States' continued support for the Israeli regime could lead to an explosion in the region.
• Yemen: US insistence on support for Israeli war on Gaza would blow up whole region Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Yemen has warned that tensions could escalate in the region as the United States keeps backing Israel in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
• FP says "Hamas's growing reliance" on tunnels has paid off IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Foreign Policy magazine has stressed that Hamas's growing reliance on the tunnels and its elaborate construction effort have paid off.
• Hamas' tunnels cause heavy Israeli combat losses, make victory 'less certain': FP Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- A vast network of underground tunnels built by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip has caused "significant casualties" among invading Israeli forces and made Israel's victory in its genocidal war on the besieged strip "less certain," according to an American news publication.
• SKorea's Spy Agency: Hamas Used North Korean Weapons Against Israel VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- South Korea's spy agency confirmed Monday that Palestinian militant group Hamas has been using North Korean-made weapons in its conflict with Israel, amid a report of new photos showing weapons etched with Korean characters retrieved in the conflict.

Other Conflicts

• Pakistan Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi area Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Jan 2024 -- Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack that took place in Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul on 6 January 2024 and resulted in loss of several precious lives and multiple injuries.
• Pakistani Islamist Leader Attempts To Help Reset Ties With Afghan Taliban RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- A senior Pakistani Islamist politician has met top Taliban leaders in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, in an attempt to revive ties between the two neighbors.
• Five Police Officers Killed In Attack Claimed By Pakistani Taliban RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- A roadside bomb explosion targeting a police vehicle that was guarding an anti-polio vaccination team has killed at least five police officers and wounded another 22 in northwestern Pakistan, local officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on January 8.
• Deadly Bomb Hits Pakistan Polio Protection Police Team Near Afghan Border VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Monday that at least six police officers were killed and nearly two dozen injured when a roadside bomb struck their truck in a remote region bordering Afghanistan.
• 5 killed, 14 injured in blast in NW Pakistan People's Daily 08 Jan 2024 -- A bomb went off near a police vehicle in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, leaving five policemen killed and at least 14 others injured, rescue and police officials said.
• 19 civilians massacred by junta forces in Sagaing region Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Military junta soldiers massacred 19 civilians in two townships in northwest Myanmar's Sagaing region after detaining them, residents said, in the latest slaughter of civilians in the country's nearly three-year civil war.
• Resistance groups claim capture of 2 Myanmar cities Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Myanmar's Three Brotherhood Alliance claimed the capture of two cities, according to a statement released Monday. The resistance group announced they stormed two junta camps on Sunday, causing troops to withdraw.
• Fire ravages Rohingya refugee camp leaving 3,500 children homeless and 1,500 without education UNICEF 08 Jan 2024 -- "UNICEF offers its deepest sympathies to the 5,000 Rohingya refugees - including 3,500 children - who sadly lost their homes in the fire that broke out in Camp 5 of the Cox's Bazar refugee camps on 7 January 2023.
• Proposal on troop withdrawal with Azerbaijan still stands: Yerevan ISNA 08 Jan 2024 -- "During the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian side has always proposed a mirror withdrawal of troops from the interstate border, and it is still valid," the ministry told Sputnik.
• U.S. Warplanes Conduct Training Exercise Over Bosnia On Eve Of Banned Bosnian Serb Day RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- Two U.S. F-16 warplanes and a tanker aircraft flew over Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 8 as part of a military exercise to demonstrate Washington's backing for the Balkan country's territorial integrity in the face of increasingly secessionist policies of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik.
• The Appointment of Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar as the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024

News Reports

• Global Election Year Ahead Lays Bare Strife Between East and West VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- 2024 will go down as one of the most politically consequential years in history, with national elections in more than 60 countries representing half of the world's population. That means more people will be eligible to vote in 2024 than in any previous year.
• U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transmitting Sensitive U.S. Military Information to Chinese Intelligence US Dept. of Justice 08 Jan 2024 -- A U.S. Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to an intelligence officer from the People's Republic of China (PRC) in exchange for bribery payments.
• Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network US Treasury 08 Jan 2024
• Russian National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization US Dept. of Justice 08 Jan 2024 -- Murat Kurashev, 36, of Sacramento, California, pleaded guilty to a single-count indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
• Germany Says Tajik Held On Terrorism Charge To Be Deported To Austria RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- Police in the German city of Cologne say a Tajik national detained in late December on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack on Cologne Cathedral is wanted in Austria and will be sent there to face charges.
• Wider Europe Briefing: Why Are The EU's Latest Russia Sanctions So Weak? RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024
• China arrests foreign consultancy chief as 'spy' for Britain's MI6 Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- China's Ministry for State Security said Monday it has arrested a man surnamed Huang, who heads a foreign consultancy in the country, as an alleged British spy, with one newspaper warning that there are "007s" everywhere in real life.
• China detains foreign national over 'espionage for MI6' Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- China says its security agencies have detained a foreign national over espionage charges related to Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6.
• Ministry of State Security reveals UK'S MI6 using foreign consultant for espionage targeting China Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday disclosed a case in which the British Secret Intelligence Service (known as MI6) used foreign personnel from "a third country" to engage in espionage activities against China.
• Xi calls for CPC self-reform at top discipline organ plenum Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday called for advancing the Party's self-reform and winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption.
• China's top anti-graft body to intensify scrutiny in finance, SOEs, healthcare, and more fields Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Commission of Supervision (NCS), the country's top anti-graft body, has pledged to intensify scrutiny in areas including finance, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), healthcare, grain procurement and sale, rural revitalization, tobacco, sports, statistics and more.
• China's air force 'burned missile fuel to make hotpot': ex-officer Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Rampant corruption and funding shortfalls are eating away at the People's Liberation Army's ability to equip its own forces, according to a former People's Liberation Navy Lieutenant Colonel, who described air force personnel taking away chunks of solid missile fuel to use as fuel for meals of traditional Chinese hotpot during his time as a serving officer.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on January 8, 2024 PRC MofA 08 Jan 2024
• US' ratcheting up chip export control measures against China is 'genuine act of economic bullying': Foreign Ministry Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- In the disguise of maintaining national security, the US has been ratcheting up chip export control measures against China and unreasonably suppressing Chinese semiconductor companies, which is a genuine act of economic bullying, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Monday.
• Is China Benefiting From Instability In The Middle East? RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- A rocket barrage on a strategic air base in northern Israel sent from Lebanon by Hizballah is the latest in a growing string of events in the Middle East that analysts say could boost China's standing in the region and create new opportunities for it to expand its influence.
• China-Maldives relations expected to reach new heights Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- The bilateral relations between China and the Maldives are expected to reach new heights as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu began his first state visit to China on Monday since taking office. Analysts noted that a number of agreements on infrastructure and tourism are expected to be signed during the Maldivian leader's visit.
• Jimmy Lai trial discloses his close connections with US political figures Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- The trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital and three Apple Daily companies and who has been charged with colluding with foreign forces, entered its seventh day on Monday when the prosecution began reading a 61-page statement of admitted facts detailing the police's discovery of email communications on Lai's phone with his assistant Mark Simon, former US deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, and former vice chief of staff of the US Army Jack Keane, among others.
• Jimmy Lai's lawyers appeal to UN over prosecution witness 'torture' Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Lawyers acting for Hong Kong pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai, who is currently standing trial under a draconian security law that cracks down on dissent, have appealed to the United Nations to investigate, saying a key witness for the prosecution was tortured before "confessing" to conspiring with Lai.
• Ministry of State Security reveals MI6's use of foreign national for espionage operations targeting China Global Times 08 Jan 2024 -- China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday disclosed a case in which the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) used foreign personnel from a third country to engage in espionage activities against China.
• Premier requested by lawmakers to discuss Medigen vaccine case CNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The Legislative Yuan passed a motion on Monday to hold a special session on Tuesday, in which Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and relevant Cabinet ministries will be asked questions regarding the government's purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Taiwan-based Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
• Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Inspects Newly-built Kwangchon Chicken Farm KCNA 08 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 (DPRK), gave field guidance to the newly-built Kwangchon Chicken Farm on January 7.
• S Korea revamps National Security Office with economic focus Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- South Korea has reorganized its National Security Office to prioritize "economic security," reflecting a growing global trend where countries are combining their economic and political tactics to optimize their diplomatic interests.
• Joint statement from International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 at the International Civil Aviation Organization Canada 08 Jan 2024 -- "We, ministers representing Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, have taken another step on the road to transparency, justice and accountability for Iran's unlawful downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which killed 176 people, including nationals and residents of our countries."
• Qalibaf: Daesh looking for insecurity in Afghanistan's neighboring countries IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf deemed the root of the terrorist act in Kerman to be the activities of the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group in Afghanistan, seeking to create insecurity in Afghanistan's neighboring countries.
• Like their Zionist ilk in Gaza, Daesh seeks massacre of innocent people: President Raeisi Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Daesh terrorist group seeks to kill women and children just like the Israeli regime that is massacring innocent people in Gaza.
• Iran urges for its removal from FATF recommendations IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- In a letter of protest to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Iran's Finance Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has urged for the Islamic Republic of Iran's name to be removed from Recommendation 7 and other documents related to UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
• Terrorism a threat to all nations and governments: Iran FM spox IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that terrorism is a threat to all nations, and those who use terror as a tool to reach their goals should be accountable.
• Iran: Kerman massacre caused by those using terrorism as tool for their goals Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Iran says the culprits behind the deadly terrorist bomb attacks in the city of Kerman use terrorism as a tool to achieve their own objectives.
• Iran blames U.S. military interventions for regional instability People's Daily 09 Jan 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that many of the insecurities, instabilities and tensions in West Asia have roots in the U.S. military presence and interventions in the region.
• 'Iran will support Resistance until the destruction of Zionist regime' IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to support Resistance forces until the total annihilation of the Zionist regime, says a top advisor to the chief commander of the IRGC Quds Force.
• Iran warns of Israel's acts of terror, adventurism to expand war across region Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- Iran warns the international community and the United Nations Security Council about Israel's overt and adventurous efforts to expand war across the region.
• Iran's membership to significantly boost capacities at BRICS: Deputy FM IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Coordination on Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari has said that Iran's membership in the BRICS bloc of emerging economies can significantly boost capacities of the organization in the fields of transit, energy, oil, gas and modern technologies.
• Iranian, Russian Exporters Able to Conduct Payments in National Currencies - Central Bank Sputnik 08 Jan 2024 -- Russian and Iranian exporters are able to handle transactions in national currencies after the two countries integrated their financial message transfer systems, allowing banks to make direct payments without using the SWIFT payment system, Deputy Head of Iranian Central Bank Mohsen Karimi said.
• Iran: We have a good interaction with neighbor's intel. services ISNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Iran foreign ministry spokesman says the country have a good interaction with intelligence services of neighbors.
• Iraq's Kurdistan will never be a source of threat against any neighbor, especially Iran: Barzani Press TV 08 Jan 2024 -- President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Nechirvan Barzani says the semi-autonomous region will never become a platform for threats against Iran.
• Hopes and fears seen as Myanmar junta eases forex rules to raise foreign currency Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- At the end of last year, weeks before the third anniversary of the 2021 military coup that plunged Myanmar into chaos and war, the junta-controlled central bank took the rare step of freeing up its strict foreign exchange controls.
• University student population has plunged 90% since coup Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Myanmar's university student population has plummeted by more than 90% since the military's takeover nearly three years ago, according to statistics published by the junta's department of education.
• Decision not to invite OSCE observers to parliamentary elections contrary to Belarus' international commitments OSCE 08 Jan 2024 -- It is deeply regrettable that the Belarusian authorities have decided not to invite observers for the country's forthcoming parliamentary elections from OSCE states through the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), leaders of both institutions said today, adding that the decision contradicts the principle of transparency, which is essential for holding genuinely democratic elections.
• Foreign Minister meets leader of Belarusian democratic opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Poland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Jan 2024 -- Head of Polish diplomacy Radosław Sikorski has met today with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her accompanying delegation.
• Pakistan's Top Court Outlaws Lifetime Election Bans on Convicted Politicians VOA 08 Jan 2024 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court lifted lifetime bans on politicians with past convictions from running for public office Monday, paving the way for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to run in the national elections next month.
• Pakistan internet shutdown ahead of opposition election campaign IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Pakistan experienced internet disruption nationwide on Sunday night as the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan was set to launch a virtual campaign ahead of next month's general elections.
• Gunmen kill political leader in India's West Bengal People's Daily 08 Jan 2024 -- Unidentified gunmen Sunday shot dead ruling Trinamool Congress party leader Satyan Chowdhury in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, police said.
• Prime Minister congratulates Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for victory for fourth consecutive term India MEA 08 Jan 2024 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections.
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina wins 4th consecutive term IRNA 08 Jan 2024 -- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured her fourth straight term in the general elections after a campaign marred by violence amid a boycott call from the main opposition party.
• Awami League wins Bangladesh polls boycotted by opposition Radio Free Asia 08 Jan 2024 -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party will return to power for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in Bangladesh after being declared the winner of Sunday's general election, which drew a low turnout amid an opposition boycott.
• Parliamentary Elections in Bangladesh US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2024 -- The United States supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.
• Anger In Kyrgyzstan As Self-Proclaimed 'New God' Becomes The Latest Prison Death RFE/RL 08 Jan 2024 -- Once the only country in Central Asia where an independent candidate as mercurial and quirky as Abdyldaev could throw his or her hat into the presidential ring, Kyrgyzstan is now a country where the people who go to prison cannot be sure if they will leave it alive.
• World News in Brief, Bangladesh democracy call, accountability for Israeli victims of sexual violence, plastic pollution in the Antarctic, powering Ukraine UN News 08 Jan 2024 -- The UN human rights chief on Monday called on the newly elected Government of Bangladesh to take steps to renew the country's commitment to democracy and human rights.