auto-update week 52

africa/ag.json

@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently; two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)<br>National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote using the Hare quota method; members serve 5-year terms)"
+        "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently; two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)<br>National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote using the Hare Quota method; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
         "text": "Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next expected in 2025)<br>National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)"
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "approximately 225,000 armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 15,000 Air Force/Air Defense; 10,000 Navy; 1,000 Republican Guard; 100,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)"
+      "text": "approximately 225,000 armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 15,000 Air Force/Air Defense; 10,000 Navy; 1,000 Republican Guard; 100,000 Gendarmerie) (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the Algerian military has traditionally been armed mostly with Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems and equipment; over the past decade, it has made large investments in acquiring more modern armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia, its traditional supplier, but also China and Western European suppliers such as Germany (2024)"

africa/ga.json

@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@
       "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (18-22 for officers); no conscription; service obligation six months  (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
-      "text": "the Gambian security forces have a history of involvement in domestic politics, including multiple coups attempts and mutinies, with the latest being an attempted coup in 2022; since 2017, Gambia’s security sector has been undergoing reforms as part of a national reconstruction effort to recover from the 22 years of Yahya JAMMEH’s autocratic rule under which the security forces were severely under-resourced in terms of finances and equipment and were largely directed towards regime protection and suppressing dissent; international partners, including member states of the EU, particularly France and Germany, as well as Turkey and the US have provided assistance for military and police reforms; several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have also provided security forces for stability, plus assistance and training through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG); as of 2024, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG<br><br>the GAF is a small and lightly armed force responsible for external defense, including maritime security, and aiding civil authorities in emergencies and natural disaster relief; it also engages in domestic support activities such as engineering, education, health, and agriculture development; the GAF participates in peacekeeping missions, and since its first deployments in the 1990s, has been involved in more than 10 UN peacekeeping missions while contributing about 4,000 total troops <br><br>the GAF traces its origins to the Gambia Regiment of the British Army; established in 1901, the Gambia Regiment was part of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF, later Royal West African Frontier Force or RWAFF) and served in both World Wars, including the British 1944-45 military campaign in Burma; the Gambia Regiment was disbanded in 1958 and replaced by the Field Force, a police paramilitary unit; the Field Force was responsible for The Gambia’s security until the establishment of the GAF in 1985; in addition, a defense agreement signed in 1965 between The Gambia and Senegal provided mutual assistance in the face of an external threat; from 1981-1989, The Gambia and Senegal formed a Confederal Army that was made up of troops from both countries (2024)"
+      "text": "the Gambian security forces have a history of involvement in domestic politics, including multiple coups attempts and mutinies, with the latest being an attempted coup in 2022; since 2017, Gambia’s security sector has been undergoing reforms as part of a national reconstruction effort to recover from the 22 years of Yahya JAMMEH’s autocratic rule under which the security forces were under-resourced in terms of finances and equipment and were largely directed towards regime protection and suppressing dissent; international partners, including member states of the EU, particularly France and Germany, as well as Turkey and the US have provided assistance for military and police reforms; several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have also provided security forces for stability, plus assistance and training through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG); as of 2024, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG<br><br>the GAF is a small and lightly armed force responsible for external defense, including maritime security, and aiding civil authorities in emergencies and natural disaster relief; it also engages in domestic support activities such as engineering, education, health, and agriculture development; the GAF participates in peacekeeping missions, and since its first deployments in the 1990s, has been involved in more than 10 UN peacekeeping missions <br><br>the GAF traces its origins to the Gambia Regiment of the British Army; established in 1901, the Gambia Regiment was part of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF, later Royal West African Frontier Force or RWAFF) and served in both World Wars, including the British 1944-45 military campaign in Burma; the Gambia Regiment was disbanded in 1958 and replaced by the Field Force, a police paramilitary unit; the Field Force was responsible for The Gambia’s security until the establishment of the GAF in 1985; in addition, a defense agreement signed in 1965 between The Gambia and Senegal provided mutual assistance in the face of an external threat; from 1981-1989, The Gambia and Senegal formed a Confederal Army that was made up of troops from both countries (2024)"
     }
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {

africa/gh.json

@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "approximately 16,000 active personnel (12,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2024)"
+      "text": "approximately 16,000 active Armed Forces personnel (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the military's inventory is a mix of older and some newer Chinese, Russian, and Western equipment, including US, which has donated items such as patrol boats; the government in recent years has committed to an increase in funding for equipment acquisitions, including armor, mechanized, and special forces capabilities for the Army, light attack aircraft for the Air Force, and more modern coastal patrol vessels for the Navy (2024)"

central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json

@@ -454,10 +454,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2025)"
+        "text": "last held on 6 December 2024 (next to be held in 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%; seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1; composition - men 13, women 8, percentage women - 38.1%"
+        "text": "percent of vote by party AVP 32.2%, MEP 31.7%, FUTURO 13.2%, PPA 6.4%; seats by party - AVP 9, MEP 8, FUTURO 3, PPA 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women - NA%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json

@@ -1196,7 +1196,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "information varies; approximately 20,000 active military personnel (18,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 1,000 Air Forces); approximately 30,000 National Civil Police (2023)"
+      "text": "information varies; approximately 20,000 active military personnel; approximately 25-30,000 National Civil Police (2023)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the military is lightly armed with an inventory mostly comprised of older US equipment; in recent years, Guatemala has received small amounts of equipment from several countries, including Colombia, Spain, and the US (2024)"
@@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@
       "text": "190 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
-      "text": "the military is responsible for maintaining sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; in recent years however, the military has sought to place more focus on other missions such as border security and traditional military operations; it has also created new brigades for cybersecurity (2024) and responding to national emergencies/providing humanitarian assistance (2023); it participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance<br><br>the military held power during most of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country’s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2024)"
+      "text": "the military is responsible for maintaining independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; in recent years however, the military has sought to place more focus on other missions such as border security and traditional military operations; it has also created new brigades for cybersecurity (2024) and responding to national emergencies/providing humanitarian assistance (2023); it participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance<br><br>the military held power during most of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country’s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2024)"
     }
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {

east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json

@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@
   },
   "Military and Security": {
     "Military and security forces": {
-      "text": "People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN, includes naval aviation), Navy Marine Corps (PLANMC), Air Force (PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, Joint Logistics Support Force, People's Armed Police (PAP, includes Coast Guard, Border Defense Force, Internal Security Forces); PLA Reserve Force (2024)",
+      "text": "People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces or People's Liberation Army Army (PLAA), Navy (PLAN, includes Marine Corps (PLANMC)), Air Force (PLAAF), Rocket Force (PLARF), Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, Joint Logistics Support Force, People's Armed Police (PAP, includes Coast Guard, Border Defense Force, Internal Security Forces); PLA Reserve Force (2024)",
       "note": "<strong>note 1:</strong> the PAP is a paramilitary police component of China’s armed forces that is under the dual authority of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission and charged with internal security, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and maritime rights protection<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong>in 2018, the Coast Guard was moved from the State Oceanic Administration to the PAP; in 2013, China merged four of its five major maritime law enforcement agencies – the China Marine Surveillance (CMS), Maritime Police, Fishery Law Enforcement (FLE), and Anti-Smuggling Police – into a unified coast guard"
     },
     "Military expenditures": {
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "approximately 2 million active-duty troops (approximately 1 million Ground; 250,000 Navy/Marines; 350-400,000 Air Force; 120,000 Rocket Forces; 150-175,000 Strategic Support Forces); estimated 600-650,000 People&rsquo;s Armed Police (2023)"
+      "text": "approximately 2 million active-duty troops (approximately 950,000-1 million Ground; 250,000 Navy, including about 50,000 Marines; 350-400,000 Air Force; 120,000 Rocket Forces; 150-175,000 other forces); approximately 500,000 People&rsquo;s Armed Police (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the PLA has a mix of mostly modern domestically produced and imported weapons and equipment; most of its imported weaponry has come from Russia; China has one of the world's largest defense-industrial sectors and is capable of producing advanced weapons systems across all military domains (2024)",

east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json

@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@
   },
   "Economy": {
     "Economic overview": {
-      "text": "high-income, service-based Southeast Asian economy; renowned for financial markets and Asian Infrastructure Exchange; business-driven regulations; low unemployment; electronics, oil, and chemicals exporter; continuing education investment"
+      "text": "<p>high-income, service-based economy; global financial hub; business-friendly policies and open to investment and trade; inflation easing but persistent in services; public investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure; strong human capital development challenged by aging population</p>"
     },
     "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
       "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": {

east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json

@@ -1216,7 +1216,7 @@
       "text": "information is limited and varied; estimated 450,000 active-duty troops; estimated 40,000 Border Defense Force and Coast Guard (2023)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
-      "text": "the PAVN is armed largely with weapons and equipment from Russia and the former Soviet Union; in recent years, Vietnam has moved to diversify arms its arms suppliers and has acquired items from countries such as India, South Korea, and the US; Vietnam has a small defense industry involved in the production of small arms, ground combat vehicles, and naval systems (2024)",
+      "text": "the PAVN is armed largely with weapons and equipment from Russia and the former Soviet Union; in recent years, Vietnam has moved to diversify arms its arms suppliers and has acquired items from countries such as India, South Korea, and the US; Vietnam has a small defense industry involved in the manufacture of small arms, ground combat vehicles, and naval systems (2024)",
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the US lifted an embargo on arms sales to Vietnam in 2016"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {

europe/ei.json

@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@
         "text": "President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011)"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon HARRIS (since 9 April 2024)"
+        "text": "Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon HARRIS resigned on 18 December 2024 but remains in Caretaker status until a new prime minister is appointed (since 9 April 2024)"
       },
       "cabinet": {
         "text": "Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Dali Eireann (lower house of Parliament)"
@@ -549,13 +549,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of:<br>Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members indirectly elected from 5 vocational panels of nominees by an electoral college, 11 appointed by the prime minister<br>House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (160 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; all Parliament members serve 5-year terms)"
+        "text": "bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of:<br>Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members indirectly elected from 5 vocational panels of nominees by an electoral college, 11 appointed by the prime minister<br>House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (174 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; all Parliament members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
         "text": "Senate - last held early on 21-30 May 2020 (next to be held in March 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 29 November 2024 (next to be held no later than November 2029)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<strong> </strong>Senate - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 35%, Fine Gael 26.7%, Green Party 6.7%<strong>, </strong>Labor Party 6.7%, Sinn Fein 6.7%, other 1.6%, independent 16.7%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 21, Fine Gael 16, Green Party 4<strong>, </strong>Labor Party 4, Sinn Fein 4, other 1, independent 10; composition - men 36, women 24, percentage women 40%<br><br>House of Representatives - seats by party - Fianna Fail 48, Sinn Fein 39, Fine Gael 38, Social Democrats 11, Labor Party 11, Independent Ireland 4, PBP-S 3, other 1, independent 16; composition - men 123, women 37, percentage women 23.1%; total Parliament percentage women 27.7%"
+        "text": "<strong> </strong>Senate - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 35%, Fine Gael 26.7%, Green Party 6.7%<strong>, </strong>Labor Party 6.7%, Sinn Fein 6.7%, other 1.6%, independent 16.7%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 21, Fine Gael 16, Green Party 4<strong>, </strong>Labor Party 4, Sinn Fein 4, other 1, independent 10; composition - men 36, women 24, percentage women 40%<br><br>House of Representatives - seats by party - Fianna Fail 48, Sinn Fein 39, Fine Gael 38, Social Democrats 11, Labor Party 11, Independent Ireland 4, PBP-S 3, other 1, independent 16; composition - men 130, women 44, percentage women 25.3%; total Parliament percentage women 29.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

europe/vt.json

@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Joe DONNELLY (since 11 April 2022)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Laura HOCHLA (since 8 July 2024)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Via Sallustiana, 49, 00187 Rome"

middle-east/ba.json

@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@
   },
   "Economy": {
     "Economic overview": {
-      "text": "growing, economically diverse Middle Eastern island economy; major recovery and balancing efforts to fulfill Economic Vision 2030; regional finance hub; increasing openness; high youth unemployment; water scarcity amid reservoir depletion"
+      "text": "<p>high-income, growing Middle Eastern island economy; oil and aluminum exporter with diversification led by services, construction and manufacturing; regional finance and tourism hub; high public debt linked to oil revenue dependence and limited tax base; vulnerable to water reservoir depletion</p>"
     },
     "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
       "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": {
@@ -1121,7 +1121,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "information varies; approximately 10,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,500 Air Force); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2023)"
+      "text": "information varies; approximately 10,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,500 Air Force); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the military's inventory consists of a mix of equipment acquired from a wide variety of suppliers; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of arms to Bahrain (2024)"

middle-east/gg.json

@@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "estimates vary; approximately 30,000 troops, including active National Guard forces (2023)",
+      "text": "information varies widely; estimated 35,000 active Defense Force troops (2023)",
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>in December 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a resolution determining that the Georgian Defense Forces would have a maximum peacetime strength of 37,000 troops"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {

middle-east/gz.json

@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@
       "text": "not available"
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "the military wing of HAMAS has an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2023)"
+      "text": "prior to the start of the 2023-2024 conflict with Israel, the military wing of HAMAS had an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2023)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the military wing is armed with light weapons, including an inventory of rocket, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, indirect fire (typically mortars), and armed UAV capabilities; HAMAS acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives significant military support from Iran (2024)"

south-america/ar.json

@@ -1240,7 +1240,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
-      "text": "approximately 80,000 active-duty personnel (50,000 Army; 17,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 13,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2023)"
+      "text": "approximately 75,000 active-duty personnel (46,000 Army; 16,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 13,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
       "text": "the inventory of Argentina's armed forces is a mix of domestically-produced and mostly older imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; in recent years, France and the US have been the leading suppliers of equipment; Argentina has an indigenous defense industry that produces air, land, and naval systems (2024)"