• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 20 May 2010 [PDF]
• Iraqis Arrest 11 in Recent Operations AFPS 20 May 2010 -- Iraqi forces arrested 11 terrorism suspects in recent operations conducted with U.S. advisors, military officials reported.
• JSS Is Transferred From U.S. Forces to Iraqi Federal Police Army News 20 May 2010 -- Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, transferred Joint Security Station Zafaraniya to 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Federal Police Division, May 10.
• Iraqi army and Peshmerga work together to quell insurgency in Diyala province Army News 20 May 2010 -- The traditionally strained relationship between Arab and Kurdish Iraqis may have made some leeway in April when troops from both groups worked alongside U.S. Soldiers in a operation to help eradicate al-Qaeda extremists from the Diyala province.
• MPs train Iraqi police to save lives Army News 20 May 2010 -- Ohio-based military police are training Iraqi policemen here how to save the lives of their peers in medical emergencies.
• Forces in Afghanistan Capture Taliban Commanders AFPS 20 May 2010 -- Afghan and international forces captured two Taliban commanders and seized weapons and drugs in recent operations, military officials reported.
• U.S. Command Launches Probe Into Afghan Civilian Deaths AFPS 20 May 2010 -- U.S. Forces Afghanistan officials have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that a small number of U.S. soldiers were responsible for the unlawful deaths of as many as three Afghan civilians.
• Insecurity will not deter UN’s work in southern Afghanistan, says top envoy UN News Centre 20 May 2010 -- The United Nations is committed to having an active presence in the southern part of Afghanistan, despite the insecurity in the region, the top United Nations envoy to the country pledged today.
• US Military Investigating Afghan Civilian Deaths VOA 20 May 2010 -- The U.S. military says it has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that a "small number" of U.S. soldiers were involved in the deaths of as many as three Afghan civilians.
• 9th ESB departs in support of Operation Enduring Freedom USMC News 20 May 2010 -- Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, drew weapons and said their goodbyes before heading to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom May 9.
• Pakistan not others to decide anti-terror operations IRNA 20 May 2010 -- Pakistan said Thursday it will take a sovereign decision as to when and where to undertake a military operation against the militants.
• North Dakota Military Police Arrive in Haiti Army News 20 May 2010 -- Twenty-one Soldiers with the North Dakota Army National Guard's 191st Military Police Company arrived in Haiti yesterday. They will spend three weeks there providing security to facilitate the movement of U.S. service members who will be constructing a base camp about 95 miles north of Port au Prince, near Gonaives.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DOD News Briefing with Secretary Gates and Adm. Mullen from the Pentagon DoD 20 May 2010-- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen
• X-51A Waverider flight planned for May 25 AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Weather permitting, Air Force officials said the X-51A Waverider will make its first hypersonic flight test attempt May 25 after it is released from a B-52 Stratofortress off the southern coast of California.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard Completes CVN 76's Planned Incremental Availability Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Norfolk Naval Shipyard successfully completed USS Ronald Reagan's (CVN 76) six-month Planned Incremental Availability May 19 at San Diego's Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) under budget.
• Nimitz Begins Preparing for INSURV Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) sent its Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Department Head underway aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) May 18 to begin preparing for Nimitz' INSURV later this year.
• NAVSEA Funds New Research Projects to Lower Shipbuilding Costs Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) funded nearly $8 million for eight new research projects designed to lower shipbuilding or ship maintenance costs May 5.
• NMCB 7 Lends a Helping Hand to Underwater Construction Team 1 Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 donned dust masks, tyvek suits, hard hats, and their ear and eye protection as they came to the aid of their counterparts from Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1.
• Naval Special Warfare Personnel Train with Elite Brazilian Unit Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Seven operators from Naval Special Warfare (NSW) worked with the Brazilian Marine Corps Special Operations Battalion (Tonelero) April 19 – May 13. This was the first time the United States has engaged with this unit in more than 25 years.
• 'Taking Action, Measuring Results:' Navy, Marine Corps Address Combat, Operational Stress Control Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Navy and Marine Corps leaders, along with medical and mental health professionals, chaplains, combat veterans, and family members convened in San Diego for the start of the Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) Conference May 18.
• NORAD, US NORTHCOM Welcomes New Commander Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) from Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart held a change of command ceremony on Peterson Air Force Base May 18.
• Operational Stress Conference Promotes Greater Enlisted Leadership Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- The Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) Conference took place in San Diego, and for three days Navy and Marine Corps leaders, medical and mental health professionals, combat veterans and their families, addressed stress affecting Sailors and Marines.
• New Surface Sensors and Combat Systems Facility Opens Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- The Navy's newest research and development facility officially opened for business May 17 at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren, Va.
• NSWC Dahlgren to Host Interoperability Demonstration Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, a Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) field activity, will host the 2010 Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) June 16-24.
• Hawaii Prepares for Hurricane Season Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH) and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) Emergency Management teams hosted the "Operation Prepare-Hurricane Awareness" campaign May 14.
• USS Denver Receives the 2009 Ship-Helicopter Safety Award Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- The forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) was selected for the second consecutive year for the annual Chief of Naval Operations Ship-Helicopter Safety Award in May, honoring the ship with the most outstanding aviation safety record for 2009.
• USS Texas Departs for U.S. 4th Fleet Deployment Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- The Virginia-class submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment to U.S. 4th Fleet Area of Responsibility May 19.
• Can Do Spirit in Djibouti Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 have been lending their support and expertise to Camp Lemonnier and the surrounding communities in Djibouti since relieving NMCB 3 in February.
• NAVSEA's SUPSALV Surges, Supports Oil Spill Response Navy NewsStand 20 May 2010 -- Navy pollution response experts have shipped 98,000 feet of oil containment boom as of May 20, to the Gulf of Mexico, as part of the combined effort to reduce the environmental impact of the underwater oil spill at an exploratory oil rig off the coast of Louisiana.
• 33rd Rescue Squadron crew earns MacKay Trophy AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Four members of the 33rd Rescue Squadron here were named the 2009 MacKay Trophy winners.
• Luke Airmen welcome Danish air force AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Nearly 100 members from the Royal Danish air force fighter wing recently deployed to Luke Air Force Base for a month-long F-16 Fighting Falcon combat enhancement training mission.
• Air Force chief of staff addresses 2010 CAF Airpower Symposium AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Although last minute plane troubles kept the Air Force's top uniformed leader from physically attending the 2010 Combat Air Forces Airpower Symposium at Langley Air Force Base May 19, it didn't keep him from delivering his keynote address to participants.
• Gates Vows to Focus on Reform, Reducing Overhead AFPS 20 May 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today vowed to take the time necessary to reform the Defense Department and eliminate unnecessary overhead expenses.
• Gates Reports on Visit to Carson Warrior Transition Unit AFPS 20 May 2010 -- A visit to the warrior transition unit at Fort Carson, Colo., this week was worth the time, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a Pentagon news conference today.
• Departments Collaborate to Combat Sexual Assault AFPS 20 May 2010 -- The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have made significant strides in assisting sexual assault victims, but more work remains to be done, the director of the Defense Department’s sexual assault prevention and response office said today.
• Brazilian Dignitaries visit the 410th Contracting Support Brigade Army News 20 May 2010 -- The 410th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, recently hosted members of the Brazilian Army, providing a glimpse of the various contracting officers' roles and responsibilities within their command.
• Reality check: Training day provides insight to avionics techs Army News 20 May 2010 -- Army aviators met with the men and women who repair avionics systems in the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook during a familiarization training day at Tobyhanna.
• 'Adios' to Reserve training brigade Army News 20 May 2010 -- The headquarters of 479th Field Artillery Brigade cased its colors May 11 as it prepares to move to Fort Hood, Texas.
• 24th MEU Marines learn to take lives into own hands USMC News 20 May 2010 -- Marines with Combined Anti-Armor Team Platoon, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, enhanced their ability to make these correct decisions during a Tactical Combat Casualty Care course May 16.
• Reserve Marine brings wealth of experience to African Lion USMC News 20 May 2010
• Marine MP’s enhance foreign relations through non-lethal tactics USMC News 20 May 2010 -- Marines with the Military Police Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division of St. Paul, Minn., instructed a Moroccan Military element on non-lethal weapons tactics here May 17 during Exercise AFRICAN LION 2010.
• MCLB Albany, partners break ground on landfill gas-to-energy project USMC News 20 May 2010 -- Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Dougherty County and Chevron Energy Solutions officials will finally break ground on a landfill gas-to-energy project at the Fleming/Gaissert Road Landfill at 10 a.m. Thursday, following a three-year undertaking.
• Night ops: U.S., Romanian Marines conduct nightvision training USMC News 20 May 2010 -- U.S. Marines and Sailors deployed with Black Sea Rotational Force 2010 conducted night vision training with Romanian Marines and soldiers, May 19.
• Active and reserve communications Marines use innovation, passion for knowledge to cuts costs, increase capabilities during AFRICAN LION ‘10 USMC News 20 May 2010 -- As the Marine Corps evolves into a force more capable than ever of rapid expeditionary deployments and movements, the importance of reliable, cutting-edge communications capabilities remains paramount. The effective use of new technology requires skilled operators who pursue knowledge of the ideas, concepts and information that develops daily.
• Pentagon Improves Counterdrug Oversight, Official Says AFPS 20 May 2010 -- The Defense Department is improving its global counterdrug efforts while also working to provide better business processes in the office that oversees those efforts, a Pentagon official said today.
• Guard’s Shoreline Barrier Construction Progresses AFPS 20 May 2010 -- The Louisiana National Guard’s construction of the Tiger Dam shoreline protection system near in the southwest pass of the Mississippi River Delta continues to move ahead as an oil spill threatens the Gulf Coast.
• Operations center keeps Global Hawk flying AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Inside the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here, RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots and sensor operators watch a myriad of monitors and computers screens in a space that resembles NASA's mission control.
• UASTB largest UAS training center, 'pilots' unique mission Army News 20 May 2010 -- Fort Huachuca is home to the largest Unmanned Aircraft System training center in the world, with more than 350,000 square feet of training space, including runways, four hangars, and 24-hour operational capacity, training more than 1,400 students annually.
• Key surveillance systems part of surge workload Army News 20 May 2010 -- Electro Optics/Night Vision personnel are preparing several key surveillance systems to support the surge in Afghanistan.
• Air Force liaison officers move assets by sea AFNS 20 May 2010 -- When it comes to moving Air Force assets, high costs and weight restrictions sometimes make transportation by sea vessel the sensible choice.
• Air Force directs immediate inspection of advanced combat helmets AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Air Force officials here directed an immediate service-wide inspection, recall and reporting of defective advanced combat helmets May 19.
• U.S., Japanese Airmen train for Red Flag-Alaska AFNS 20 May 2010 -- Loadmasters from the 36th Airlift Squadron recently trained six members of the Japan Air Self Defense Force in the process of Joint Air Delivery Inspection here.
• A new way to go from blue to green AFNS 20 May 2010 -- While Airmen and new recruits at basic training still "cross into the blue," Airmen at Pacific Air Forces are looking for new ways to cross into the green -- through reducing energy demands, increasing energy supplies and changing the culture.
• Stavridis Expands on NATO Strategic Concept’s Aims AFPS 20 May 2010 -- The new NATO strategic concept looks to build on the alliance’s obvious strengths, the alliance’s supreme allied commander for Europe said yesterday.
• NATO for expanded ties with Pakistan IRNA 20 May 2010 -- A top official of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Thursday vowed to broaden relationship with Pakistan and not limit it to military cooperation alone.
• Medvedev, Sarkozy may discuss warship deal at St. Petersburg forum RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his French counterpart Nikolas Sarkozy may discuss the purchase by Russia of a French Mistral-class warship at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 17-19, a Kremlin aide said on Thursday.
• India attaches highest priority to coastal security: Antony IRNA 20 May 2010 -- Indian government attaches highest priority to coastal security, said India’s Defence Minister, A K Antony Thursday in New Delhi.
• May 20, 2010 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 May 2010
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 5/20/10 The White House 20 May 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 20, 2010
• BAE Systems One of Six Major Contractors Chosen for Largest-ever Defense Intelligence Agency Contract BAE Systems 20 May 2010 -- BAE Systems was one of six major defense contractors chosen by the Defense Intelligence Agency to provide information technology services under a $6.6 billion contract, the largest ever awarded by the agency.
• General Dynamics Selected by Defense Intelligence Agency for the Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise Contract General Dynamics 20 May 2010 -- General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been selected by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as one of the awardees for the Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise (SITE) contract. The five-year, indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract has a total potential value of $6.6 billion to all awardees if all options are exercised.
• BAE Systems Welcomes Royal Brunei Air Force Students To Tamworth For Basic Flight Training BAE Systems 20 May 2010 -- BAE Systems has further expanded its unique military flight instruction program at its Tamworth Flight Training Centre.
• Boeing, Air Force Research Lab, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to Conduct X-51A WaveRider Flight Test on May 25 Boeing 20 May 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that the X-51A WaveRider will make its first hypersonic flight test attempt from Edwards Air Force Base on Tuesday, May 25. The unmanned aerial vehicle will be released from a B-52 bomber off the southern California coast.
• Lockheed Martin Awarded $40 Million Contract To Deliver Additional Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods Lockheed Martin 20 May 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has signed a $40 million foreign military sales contract to deliver Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) to the Royal Saudi Air Force. This is the second Sniper ATP purchase in a multi-year precision sensor modernization program to improve precision targeting, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability of Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S aircraft.
• Northrop Grumman's Inertial Measurement Unit Selected for Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems Program Northrop Grumman 20 May 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been selected by Raytheon Company to supply the inertial measurement solution for the Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) Shipboard Reference program.

Other Conflicts

• 20 May 2010 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-Generalv United Nations 20 May 2010
• US: N. Korean Sinking Of S. Korean Warship An Act Of Aggression VOA 20 May 2010 -- The United States is calling North Korea's sinking of a South Korean warship an act of aggression which will further isolate Pyongyang. Top U.S. officials are not calling the attack an act of war or state-sponsored terrorism.
• South Korea Must Determine Attack Response, Gates Says AFPS 20 May 2010 -- It is up to South Korea, not the United States, to determine how it will deal with a North Korean attack on one of its ships, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
• Spokesman for DPRK National Defence Commission Issues Statement KCNA 20 May 2010 -- A spokesman for the DPRK National Defence Commission issued a statement today as regards the sinking of warship "Cheonan" of the south Korean puppet navy.
• North Korea Faces Criticism for Alleged Ship Sinking; China Urges Restraint VOA 20 May 2010 -- North Korea is trying to fend off growing criticism after an international team of investigators accused Pyongyang of sinking a South Korean warship.
• South Korea Blames North Korea for Attack on Warship VOA 19 May 2010 -- South Korea says it is clear that North Korea was responsible for a deadly attack on a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors March 26.
• South Korea Blames North Korea For Sinking Of Warship, Promises Retaliation RFE/RL 20 May 2010 -- Tensions are rising on the Korean Peninsula following South Korea's publication of an experts' report blaming North Korea for torpedoing one of its warships.
• S. Korea accuses North of sinking its warship in March - agency RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Seoul announced on Thursday that a North Korean submarine sank a South Korean warship in March, the Yonhap news agency said.
• N. Korean attack 'challenge to international peace' - White House RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- The White House said on Thursday evidence indicates North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan Navy ship and described the act as a challenge to international peace and security.
• China calls for North, South Korea to show restraint as tensions mount RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- China has urged North and South Korea to avoid escalating tensions caused by the sinking of a South Korean warship near the disputed sea border between the two states, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday.
• Russia urges Seoul, Pyongyang to show restraint over ship sinking RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Russia called on Thursday for North and South Korea to exercise restraint in reacting to an investigation that concluded a South Korean warship was sunk by a North Korean submarine in March.
• Report Concludes North Korea Sank South Korean Ship AFPS 20 May 2010 -- South Korean officials say they have proof that North Korea torpedoed the South Korean frigate Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 sailors.
• Results of probe into Korean navy ship sinking ‘deeply troubling,’ Ban says UN News Centre 20 May 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced serious concern over the results of the investigation into the sinking of a navy ship off the coast of the Republic of Korea, alleged by the country to have been carried out by its northern neighbour, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DRPK).
• North Korea Rejects Accusation it Sank South Korean Ship VOA 20 May 2010 -- North Korea has rejected a report by multinational investigators that accuses Pyongyang of sinking a South Korean warship in March and killing 46 sailors.
• Secretary-General urges expanded understanding of human security UN News Centre 20 May 2010 -- The protection and empowerment of people worldwide must form the basis of government actions, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed today as he called on Member States to accept a broadened understanding of the concept of human security.
• Darfur: Security Council warned of ‘significant challenges’ to peace process UN News Centre 20 May 2010 -- Despite some progress in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, violent clashes between Government and rebel forces persist, civilians are still dying or being displaced and humanitarian workers are still coming under attack, the top United Nations official in the region said today.
• US Mideast Envoy Wades into Sea of Distrust, Pessimism, in New Push for Israel-Palestinian Agreement VOA 20 May 2010 -- U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell is shuttling between Israel and the West Bank as part of a second round of indirect negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Mitchell has met with the Israeli Prime Minister as questions arise on whether an agreement is possible anytime soon.
• SUDAN: Key post-referendum issues IRIN 20 May 2010 -- Southern Sudan will in early 2011 hold a referendum to determine whether to remain part of a united Sudan or become a separate state. The referendum was a core component of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended decades of conflict between the Southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Khartoum government.
• SENEGAL: Tackling trauma in Casamance IRIN 20 May 2010 -- Hundreds of children and adults in volatile Casamance are not even aware of the mental trauma they suffer, let alone how to get help to banish sleepless nights, empty days and learning disabilities.
• South Ossetian Leader Discusses Extending Territory RFE/RL 20 May 2010 -- South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity has met with a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) official to discuss extending the Georgian breakaway region's borders, RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus reports.
• European Parliament Calls For Greater EU Role In South Caucasus RFE/RL 20 May 2010 -- The European Parliament has called for greater EU involvement in the South Caucasus, including in efforts to resolve the region's frozen conflicts,

News Reports

• Thai Forces Restore Order in Bangkok After Clearing Protest Site VOA 20 May 2010 -- Thai authorities say they have restored order in most of Bangkok a day after launching a deadly operation to clear thousands of opposition Red Shirt activists from a protest site in the capital. Security forces fired warning shots Thursday in parts of the capital as they searched for militants who resisted Wednesday's government raid on the Red Shirts' encampment.
• THAILAND: Bangkok - the morning after IRIN 20 May 2010 -- Bangkok residents are picking up the pieces after weeks of protests ended in rioting and bloodshed on 19 May.
• Thai Curfew Extended, Cleanup Begins VOA 20 May 2010 -- The Thai government has extended an overnight curfew for three days as security in Bangkok remains uncertain after the army broke up an anti-government protest camp. The city has set about cleaning up from the months of protests and nearly a week of street violence.
• Kyrgyz Ex-President Bakiev: 'I Don't Think It Is About Me' RFE/RL 20 May 2010
• Ban voices concern at recent unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan UN News Centre 20 May 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his concern about recent unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan, where at least two people were reportedly killed in ethnic clashes yesterday and a regional governor was attacked today.
• OIC secretary-general backs Tehran declaration on fuel swap IRNA 20 May 2010 -- Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference ( OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed the hope on Thursday that Tehran’s declaration on nuclear fuel swap deal would win support of the international community.
• UN discussions on Iran should not stop uranium swap deal - Lavrov RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that UN Security Council talks on new sanctions against Iran should not hamper the implementation of an uranium swap agreement signed by Iran, Brazil, and Turkey.
• Jailed US Hikers Meet Mothers in Iran VOA 20 May 2010 -- The mothers of three Americans suspected by Iran of spying met with their children during an emotional reunion Thursday in Tehran. State television showed Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal embrace their mothers, who they were seeing for the first time since their arrest in July.
• Top US officials brief Zardari on NY bomb plot probe IRNA 20 May 2010 -- US National Security Advisor and Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Wednesday met President Asif Ali Zardari and ‘provided an update on ongoing investigation into Times Square terrorist incident, a joint statement said.
• Military Leader of ETA Under Arrest VOA 20 May 2010 -- French and Spanish authorities have arrested six alleged members of ETA, including the reported military leader of the Basque separatist group.
• Somali President Reinstates Prime Minister, Cabinet VOA 20 May 2010 -- Somalia's president has reinstated Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and his Cabinet, three days after announcing their dismissal.
• Madagascar Security Forces Clash Turns Deadly VOA 20 May 2010 -- Officials in Madagascar's capital say one person was killed and five others wounded when rival security forces exchanged gunfire Thursday.
• World Bank Restores Aid to Niger Following February Coup VOA 20 May 2010 -- The World Bank is restoring financial assistance to Niger that was suspended following a February coup. The military government says the aid will help fight hunger in a country where 60 percent of people are facing severe food shortages.
• Atlantis crew fixes antenna dish on ISS during second spacewalk RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Two U.S. astronauts from the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis carried out on Wednesday a second spacewalk to perform scheduled maintenance work on the International Space Station (ISS).
• Russia's Rosatom applies to develop Namibian uranium deposit RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has applied to develop Namibia's Rossing South uranium deposit, according to briefing materials issued by the Russian government on Thursday.
• Russia to invest $1 bln in Namibia uranium deposits RIA Novosti 20 May 2010 -- Russia will invest some $1 billion in uranium deposits in Namibia, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian State Atomic Energy corporation Rosatom said on Thursday.