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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 13 Oct 2010 [PDF]
• Thunder Horse Soldiers uncase colors, take on Operation New Dawn Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, took part in a transfer of authority ceremony in Kirkuk, Oct. 11.
• DOD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Campbell and Brig. Gen. Chavancy via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 13 Oct 2010 -- Presenter: Commanding General for Regional Command East, Maj. Gen. John Campbell and Commanding General for Task Force Lafayette, French Army Brig. Gen. Pierre Chavancy
• NATO Official Discusses Way Ahead in Afghanistan AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- As slow but significant progress continues in Afghanistan, coalition forces continue their efforts to transition areas and institutions to Afghan control, a senior NATO official said here today.
• EODMU 5 Supports Afghanistan Missions, Returns Home to Guam Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 Battalion headquarters returned to Guam Oct. 13 following a seven-month deployment to Southern Afghanistan in direct support of Commander, Joint Task Force Paladin.
• Official: NATO Helping Taliban Contact Afghan Government VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- A senior NATO official says the coalition in Afghanistan is facilitating contacts between senior Taliban leaders and top Afghan government officials.
• UN calls for strengthening international security force in Afghanistan UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- The Security Council today extended the mission of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan for another year, calling on Governments to increase its current strength of 120,000 troops to counter growing terrorism by the Taliban and Al-Qaida.
• New Afghan female air force lieutenants arrive at the Thunder Lab AFNS 13 Oct 2010 -- Five newly commissioned Afghan female air force lieutenants reported to the Thunder Lab here Oct. 12 for training.
• Petraeus Cites ‘Hard-Won’ Progress in Afghanistan AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- Though hard-won progress has taken place in Afghanistan, it has been uneven, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there said.
• Coalition Forces Obtain More Contraband Munitions AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province obtained more contraband munitions today, military officials reported.
• PAKISTAN: A guide to main militant groups IRIN 13 Oct 2010 -- There are at least nine major militant groups in northern Pakistan and the Punjab, battling the Pakistan army, US forces, and each other. Bombings of Sufi shrines in the cities of Karachi and Lahore this year - the hardliners’ response to that more moderate tradition within Islam - has added to the toll of violence.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Gates Reaffirms Position on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- As Justice Department officials consider the implications of a federal court order for the Defense Department to stop enforcing the so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that whether the law is repealed is a matter for Congress to decide.
• DoD News: Air Force Announces C-27J Aircraft Basing Proposal DoD 13 Oct 2010 -- The Department of the Air Force announced today Great Falls International Airport, Mont.,as the preferred alternative to be the seventh C-27J operational location for bedding down four aircraft.
• DOD, DHS Join Forces to Promote Cybersecurity AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today that their departments will work together to better protect against threats to military and civilian computer networks and systems.
• Joint Statement by Secretary Gates and Secretary Napolitano on Enhancing Coordination to Secure America’s Cyber Networks DoD 13 Oct 2010 -- “Reflecting President Obama’s strong commitment to building an administration-wide approach to combating threats to our cyber networks and infrastructure, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have signed a memorandum of agreement that will align and enhance America’s capabilities to protect against threats to our critical civilian and military computer systems and networks.
• US Officials, Cyber Experts Discuss Freedom, Security Issues in Digital Age VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- The need to simultaneously protect freedom and assure national security remains vital but vastly more complicated in the Internet era. Cyber experts and U.S. officials delivered that message at an online forum hosted by the Voice of America.
• Army again beats yearly recruiting numbers, quality Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- The Army exceeded its recruiting goals again this year, turning more than 74,577 young Americans into Soldiers in fiscal year 2010. That's about 77 more Soldiers than it planned to recruit.
• U.S., Philippine Navies Kick Off CARAT 2010 In Subic Bay Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- United States and Philippine Navy Sailors participated in an Oct 13 ceremony in Subic Bay, Philippines, marking the beginning of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philippines exercise
• USS Carter Hall Sailors Participate In Bahrain Community Relations Projects Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) Sailors participated in three community relations (COMREL) projects between Oct. 3-8, while in Bahrain.
• International Naval Leaders Gain Knowledge at PHNSY & IMF Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- Naval officers from 11 different countries began classes Sept. 27 for a six-week International Shipyard Management Course at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF).
• IA Business Rules Released: OSA Replacing GSA for Enlisted Sailors Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- NAVADMINs 332/10, 333/10 and 334/10 establish the new business rules for Individual Augmentation Manpower Management (IAMM), Global War on Terrorism Support Assignments (GSA), and Overseas Contingency Operation Support Assignments (OSA) respectively.
• Naval Air Station Jacksonville Celebrates 70 Years of Service Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- Since its establishment as an aviation training center in October 1940, the mission of Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) has been to "enable Naval Aviation warfighter readiness by supporting the Fleet, Fighter and Family."
• NAF Misawa Hosts SEAL, SWCC Scout Team Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- The Navy's SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman(SWCC) Scout Team paid a visit to Naval Air Facility Misawa, Oct. 12 and discussed opportunities within the Navy's special warfare community.
• Mount Whitney Hosts Tiger Cruise Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- Tiger Cruise participants arrived aboard the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20) for an Oct. 9-11 trip from Tarragona, Spain, to the vessel's homeport of Gaeta, Italy.
• Team SPAWAR Leads Information Dominance Discussion at Cyber Symposium Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) representatives provided insight into how the Navy can achieve its vision of Information Dominance at the National Defense Industry Association San Diego Chapter's fall symposium Oct. 6.
• CP10 Provides Assistance in Panama Navy NewsStand 13 Oct 2010 -- The collaborative effort of service members assigned to multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and civilian volunteers led to the successful completion of the Panama phase of Continuing Promise 2010 (CP10), Oct. 7.
• Media Availability with Secretary Gates en route Brussels, Belgium DoD 13 Oct 2010 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• CMSAF visits Botswana, shares view on deliberate development AFNS 13 Oct 2010 -- Deliberate development is a topic the chief master sergeant of the Air Force discusses throughout the Air Force and in many corners of the world.
• Veterans use NASA anti-gravity treadmill in treatment AFNS 13 Oct 2010 -- Veterans undergoing physical therapy at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center in California can now walk or jog on an "anti-gravity" treadmill that uses a unique differential air pressure technology allowing the veterans to feel as if they are "walking on the moon" by reducing the pressure of the body's weight.
• Mullen: Military Has ‘Strategic Imperative’ to Save Resources AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- The military has a “strategic imperative” to lead the nation in environmental conservation, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
• Service Leaders Discuss Way Forward on Energy AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- Military and civilian service leaders gathered at the Pentagon today discussed their plans for energy conservation that include leading the nation and the world into a more sustainable environmental future.
• Saving energy saves lives says new Army exec Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- In Afghanistan, energy efficiency doesn't just translate to a savings in fossil fuels -- it translates to saving lives.
• Army Africa specialists inspect munitions in Horn of Africa Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- Three U.S. Army Africa Soldiers deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Sept. 11-19 to support U.S. Army Europe's G-4 branch in conducting Quality Assurance Inventory and Serviceability Inspections of munitions under the control of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.
• Stigma for seeking mental health decreasing Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- Openly discussing the damage stigma does to Soldiers in need of mental health services is a step toward eradicating the problem, said an Army suicide-prevention leader Tuesday.
• Stallions take on gunnery challenges Army News 13 Oct 2010
• Army Africa medical personnel attend revamped Tropical Medicine Course Army News 13 Oct 2010 -- The continent of Africa is home to many tropical diseases, which cause illness and, in some instances, death. Tropical diseases wreak havoc on the social and economic growth of the continent and affect the health and welfare of those who travel.
• Air Force officials reinstate captain central selection board AFNS 13 Oct 2010 -- Promotion opportunities for active-duty line of the Air Force first lieutenants competing for promotion to captain is being adjusted to 95 percent, Air Force officials announced Oct. 13 here.
• NATO Seeks More Nimble Ways to Meet Challenges AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- With Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in Brussels to attend the foreign and defense ministers’ informal meetings there tomorrow, NATO policy director Jim Townsend Jr. says the alliance is seeking more nimble ways to confront the unexpected challenges of the future.
• Gates, NATO Defense Ministers Discuss New Strategic Concept AFPS 13 Oct 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and his fellow NATO defense ministers are here to discuss myriad issues in advance of next month’s summit meeting of the alliance’s heads of state in Lisbon, Portugal.
• NATO’s New Strategic Concept. What should Russia prepare for? RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- NATO’s New Strategic Concept. What should Russia prepare for? NATO’s debate around the new Strategic concept developed by an expert group, the so-called group of wise men, has entered its final stage.
• Dodging the Draft: A battle for Russia’s youth RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010
• Russia, India to hold joint antiterrorism drills RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- Russia and India will conduct joint antiterrorism exercises on Indian territory on October 15-24, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Russia remains leader in arms deliveries to India RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- A Russian think tank put Russia in the first place on the list of major arms suppliers to India in 2002-2009.
• South Korea Leads Maritime Training on Intercepting Illegal Weapons VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- South Korea for the first time is leading a multinational maritime exercise under the Proliferation Security Initiative, known as PSI. The program is intended to intercept illicit weapons and materials to make weapons of mass destruction. Seoul had initially been reluctant to join such drills to avoid antagonizing Pyongyang.
• Defence cuts could leave Britain open to air attack, MPs warned IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- Defence cuts could leave Britain unable to defend its air space, counter threats from hostile states or conduct major foreign military campaigns, MPs have been warned.
• Defense Minister says his visit to Baku was 'successful' IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, at the end of his 2-day visit to Azerbaijan Republic on Tuesday afternoon, described his visit 'successful'.
• Death Toll Put At 18 In Blast At Iran Revolutionary Guards Base RFE/RL 13 Oct 2010 -- Iranian media say 18 people were killed and 14 others wounded in an explosion at a military base in the country's western Lorestan Province.
• President confident in outcome of Taiwan-U.S. talks CNA 13 Oct 2010 -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed confidence Wednesday that Taiwan will soon reach agreements with the United States on a number of bilateral issues that are under negotiation, including the sale of F-16 C/D fighters to Taiwan.
• No preconditions attached to peace overture: premier CNA 13 Oct 2010 -- Premier Wu Den-yih said Wednesday that Taiwan would not accept any preconditions from China in its overture to dismantle missiles targeting Taiwan.
• October 13, 2010 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Oct 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 13, 2010
• General Dynamics Receives $73 Million to Support Naval Submarine Base in Groton General Dynamics 13 Oct 2010 -- General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded two contract modifications by the U.S Navy to provide a range of services in support of nuclear submarines and related facilities and equipment at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton. The modifications are worth a combined $72.6 million. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• SAIC Awarded $19 Million Contract to Support Air Force F-16 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program SAIC 13 Oct 2010 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) announced today it was awarded a prime contract by the General Services Administration (GSA) Region 8 to provide engineering and software system services in support of the U.S. Air Force F-16 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP). The contract has a one year base period of performance, four one-year options and a total value of more than $19 million, if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Okla., and Hill AFB and Layton, Utah.
• Lockheed Martin Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Sell Its EIG Business To Veritas Capital Lockheed Martin 13 Oct 2010 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Enterprise Integration Group (EIG) business to Veritas Capital for $815 million in cash.
• Northrop Grumman Begins Flight Testing New B-2 EHF Satcom Hardware Northrop Grumman 13 Oct 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has begun flight testing the new computing hardware and communications infrastructure that will eventually allow the B-2 stealth bomber to send and receive battlefield information by satellite more than 100 times faster than today.
• Lockheed Martin Completes Third Tracking Exercise with Open Architecture Multi-Mission Signal Processor Lockheed Martin 13 Oct 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully identified and tracked a target using its Multi-Mission Signal Processor for the U.S. Navy's Aegis system. This is the third test in a series of scheduled exercises that began earlier this year.
• BAE Systems to Modernize Defense Intelligence Agency Workstations BAE Systems 13 Oct 2010 -- Today, BAE Systems announces the award of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) which will modernize the Agency's Department of Defense Intelligence Information System trusted computer workstations by creating a worldwide virtualized desktop infrastructure for DIA users and intelligence analysts. The contract has a $300 million ordering ceiling over a five-year period, including option years.
• In the presence of the Minister of Industry of Russia Israel Aerospace Industries' CEO and the Director-General of Russia’s Oboronprom Corporation have signed an agreement for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Israel Aerospace Industries 13 Oct 2010 -- n the presence of the Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, Mr. Viktor Khristenko, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) CEO, Mr. Itzhak Nissan, and the Director-General of the Oboronprom Russian Industrial Corporation, Mr. Andrey Reus, signed an agreement yesterday afternoon, 12 October 2010, to sell UAV assembly elements and services to Oboronprom.
• Going global: Rheinmetall takes over Laingsdale Engineering, strengthening its presence in South Africa and beyond Rheinmetall Defence 13 Oct 2010-- The Defence arm of the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group continues to expand its foothold in South Africa. Rheinmetall has agreed to buy Laingsdale Engineering (Pty) Ltd of Maitland from the South African company Tellumat (Pty) Ltd of Cape Town. Laingsdale Engineering specializes in developing and producing precision mechanical components.
• Israeli firm sells UAV assembly components to Russia RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- Israel Aerospace Industries said on Wednesday it has signed a contract with the Russian defense firm Oboronprom on the delivery of assembly components and servicing for aerial drones.

Other Conflicts

• 13 October 2010 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Oct 2010
• UN chief outlines measures to strengthen peacebuilding efforts UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today outlined measures to strengthen the United Nations role in helping countries emerging from conflict to maintain peace and entrench stability, stressing the need for rapid deployment of trained staff, predictable financing, partnerships and ensuring the participation of women.
• Clinton Ends Balkan Tour With Call For Dialogue In Kosovo RFE/RL 13 Oct 2010 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received a warm welcome from cheering and flag-waving crowds today as she arrived in Kosovo's capital, Pristina.
• Clinton Visits Kosovo After Appeal to Serbia VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting Kosovo, Wednesday, after urging Serbia to come to terms with the independence of its ethnic-Albanian former province. It is the first visit by a secretary of state to an independent Kosovo.
• Analysis: Missed opportunities in Somalia IRIN 13 Oct 2010 -- Weak leadership and internal divisions have prevented Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from exploiting splits among its Islamist insurgent enemies, say analysts.
• UN-African Union official meets with leaders of troubled Darfur camp for displaced UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- A senior official with the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur today met with leaders of a restive camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the war-torn Sudanese region.
• DR Congo: UN rights panel calls for support for sexual violence victims UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- Victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in remote areas of the vast country, need greater support, a high-level panel convened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to hear directly from the survivors said today.
• Ban names new force commander for UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- A Pakistani general with previous experience serving with United Nations operations in Cambodia has been named the world body’s new force commander in Liberia, succeeding a fellow-countryman at the head of the nearly 10,000-strong uniformed component of the peacekeeping mission there.

News Reports

• Retired Chinese Officials Urge Government to Respect Free Speech VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- A group of retired senior Chinese officials is challenging government censorship and is calling for greater respect for freedom of speech.
• Kim Jong Il Has Photo Session with Commanding Officers KCNA 12 Oct 2010 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, met and had a photo session with the commanding officers who took part in the military parade held to celebrate the 65th birthday of the Workers' Party of Korea.
• Five arrested in Tehran on espionage charges IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- Five persons were arrested on espionage charges in the Iranian capital, Tehran's Prosecutor of the Public and Revolution Court Abbas Ja'fari-Dolatabadi said Wednesday.
• Bushehr nuclear plant to receive additional Russian staff RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- The number of Russian specialists working at the construction of the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran will be increased by 100 in the near future, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
• Ahmadinejad Addresses Hezbollah Rally in Lebanon VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- Tens of thousands of people gathered at a soccer field in southern Beirut, Wednesday, as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed a rally for the militant group Hezbollah.
• President Ahmadinejad officially welcomed by Lebanese counterpart IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was accorded an official welcome by his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman Wednesday in Beirut.
• Ahmadinejad: Lebanon, center of resistance against expansionist powers IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Lebanon was today a center for resistance and confronting excess-seeking powers.
• Iran President: Lebanon has changed power equations in Mideast IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Lebanon has changed the balance of power to the detriment of the enemies in the Middle East.
• Ahmadinejad Gets Hero's Welcome In Lebanon, As Israel, West Watch With Suspicion RFE/RL 13 Oct 2010 -- Iran's president, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, has arrived in Lebanon to a hero's welcome and blaze of fanfare that belied the country's rising intercommunal tensions and Western misgivings about his visit.
• Ahmadinejad Praises Lebanon for 'Resistance' to Israel VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised Lebanon for what he called its "resistance" to Israel after thousands of Lebanese lined the streets of Beirut to welcome his arrival Wednesday.
• Interview: Former Kyrgyz President Denies Backing A Party RFE/RL 13 Oct 2010 -- Five political parties received enough votes in Kyrgyzstan's October 10 elections to win parliamentary representation. Now they're engaged in negotiations to form a governing coalition.
• UN envoy visits flood-ravaged southern Pakistan UN News Centre 13 Oct 2010 -- Just two weeks after having been appointed as the new United Nations Special Envoy for Assistance to Pakistan, Rauf Engin Soysal is on the ground to assess the impact of the deadly floods, cautioning that the bulk of the rebuilding effort is still ahead.
• UN Wants Security Sector Reform Before Liberian Elections VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- The United Nations says there must be reforms to Liberia's young, post-war security sector to guarantee peaceful elections next year.
• Political Uncertainty Intensifies in Nepal VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- Political uncertainty is intensifying in Nepal, where in the last three months, a dozen attempts to form a new government have failed. The political impasse threatens to unravel a peace process that saw the Himalayan country make a transition to a democracy.
• Guinea Moves to Appoint Interim Election Chief Days Before Scheduled Poll VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- Twelve members of Guinea's Independent National Electoral Commission have declared their choice for an interim president to run the institution until all 25 members can agree on a new head. The move, if successful, would replace controversial commission president Lounceny Camara with an interim commission chief.
• UN Piracy Chief: More Countries Should Help Kenya Try Pirates VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- With piracy on the rise off the east-African coast, a top U.N. advisor has called for the international community to ease the burden placed on Kenya to try and jail convicted hijackers. The statement comes just weeks after Kenya announced its international agreements to detain Somali pirates had expired.
• ASEAN Secretary-General Hopes Burma's Elections Mark New Stage VOA 13 Oct 2010 -- The secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has called on Burma's government to ensure the coming elections help lead to national reconciliation. Surin Pitsuwan hopes Burma's conflicts with the international community over its human rights record may also be resolved after the vote.
• Ex-U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine Says Democratic 'Space May Be Shrinking' RFE/RL 13 Oct 2010 -- A recent public opinion poll by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) found that a majority of Ukrainians are either concerned or alarmed about reversals of democratic rights and freedoms under President Viktor Yanukovych. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service director, Irena Chalupa, spoke to Steven Pifer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 1998-2000, about the state of Ukrainian democracy.
• Moscow says will work with London on Litvinenko, within Russian law RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2010 -- Moscow is ready to cooperate with London over the controversial case of the death of Alexander Litvinenko, but will continue to adhere to Russian law, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
• India elected as non-permanent member for two years IRNA 13 Oct 2010 -- The United Nations General Assembly elected India as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two year term beginning 1 January 2011.
• Commentary: Medvedev Pulls Investigations Committee Close RFE/RL 12 Oct 2010 -- The politics of Russian law enforcement may at times seem faintly surreal, more about reorganizations and rebranding than about meaningful progress. However, they do offer insight into the concerns of the senior leadership. The transfer of the powerful Investigations Committee from the Prosecutor-General's Office to direct subordination by the president is just such an indication.
• Press Conference by Chairperson of Committee on the Rights of the Child United Nations 13 Oct 2010
• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Awarded $60.3 Million NASA Contract for Continued Support of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Pratt & Whitney 13 Oct 2010 -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne received a $60.3 million contract from NASA to provide continued Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) pre-launch, launch and post-launch support through March 31, 2011. The contract is an extension to the current space shuttle program flight manifest launch schedule, which shifted the last two scheduled launch dates for missions STS-133 and STS-134 to fiscal year 2011. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.