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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 24 Oct 2016 [PDF]
• Coalition Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Iraq, Syria AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Carter, Inherent Resolve Commander Brief Operations in Iraq, Syria AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, updated reporters yesterday on operations in Iraq and Syria during a news conference in Irbil, Iraq.
• US Conducts Seven Airstrikes Against Daesh Positions in Libya's Sirte Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- US forces launched seven airstrikes against the Daesh terrorist group near the city of Sirte in Libya, according to the statement of US Africa Command.
• Afghan Taliban to Brief Pakistan on Recent Meetings With Kabul VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- A visiting Afghan Taliban delegation is holding meetings with officials in Pakistan and plans to give them "some briefing" on the insurgent group's recent contacts with the Kabul government, a top official confirmed Monday.
• Residents of Kunduz in Afghanistan Fear Another Taliban Attack VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- A bulldozer was busy clearing up the burnt remains of a shop destroyed during more than a week of fighting. Nearby, a man sold vegetables on a cart amidst heaps of charred bricks. Almost two weeks after the Afghan government, with NATO support, managed to fend off a Taliban attempt in early October to take over Kunduz city, residents were trying to get their lives back together.
• Sailors, Marines Return from Haiti Relief Mission NNS 24 Oct 2016 -- Sailors and Marines returned to Naval Station Norfolk aboard amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) to offload personnel and equipment Oct. 24 after conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as part of Joint Task Force (JTF) Matthew.

Defense Policy / Programs

• $35,000 bonuses available for RPA pilots to stay beyond initial commitment AFNS 24 Oct 2016 -- The Air Force has authorized $35,000 critical skills retention bonus (CSRB) programs for qualified remotely piloted aircraft pilots.
• USS Mount Whitney Departs Piraeus, Greece NNS 24 Oct 2016 -- U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) departed Piraeus, Greece, Oct. 25.
• US troops to be stationed in Norway over security: Oslo Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- The United States will station some 330 troops in Norway next year over the country's "security" concerns, according to the Norwegian Defense Ministry.
• Stratcom Commander Addresses Strategic Deterrence in 21st Century AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- Global security threats today must be viewed in a transregional, multidomain and multifunctional context, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command said Oct. 21.
• Readout of Secretary Carter's Meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates DoD 24 Oct 2016
• USS Detroit Commissioned in Namesake City NNS 24 Oct 2016 -- The crew of USS Detroit (LCS 7) brought its ship to life before a crowd of nearly 6,500 in front of the iconic General Motors building at the Port of Detroit.
• USS Mount Whitney Arrives in Piraeus, Greece NNS 24 Oct 2016 -- U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Piraeus, Greece, for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 24.
• USS Wasp Pulls Into Souda Bay After Four Months at Sea NNS 24 Oct 2016 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) pulled into Souda Bay, Greece, after four months at sea, Oct. 24.
• Top Official Describes DARPA Real-Time Space Awareness Efforts AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has transferred to the Air Force ownership of a revolutionary space surveillance telescope, and the agency is working on other real-time technologies to improve space situational awareness, DARPA's deputy director said.
• All Cyber Mission Force Teams Achieve Initial Operating Capability AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- All 133 of U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber Mission Force teams achieved initial operating capability as of Oct. 21, Cybercom officials announced today.
• Russia to conduct observation flight over Turkey People's Daily 24 Oct 2016 -- Russian inspectors will start on Monday an observation flight over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor compliance with the treaty, said a senior Russian defense official said on Monday.
• Russian Airborne Vehicles to Land First in Africa Within Drills With Egypt Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- Russian airborne vehicles are going to land on the African shore during joint drills with Egypt, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Soviet-Era Military Sub Refurbished as Research Vessel, Starts Sea Trials Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Podmoskovye is undergoing trials after a 16-year period of modernization, according to RIA Novosti.
• Russia Develops New Satellite Communication System for Military Use Sputnik 23 Oct 2016 -- Russia has started the development and engineering of a unified satellite communication system for military use; when completed the system will give the country's Ground Forces considerable superiority over the communication technologies of the ground forces of leading foreign states, according to Gen. Maj. Alexander Galgash.
• Russian Helicopters Holding to Build Crew Training Center in Peru in 2017 Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- The Russian Helicopters is going to build a training center for Mi-171Sh helicopters' crews in Lima, the company's press service said on Monday.
• India to Test-Fire Brahmos, World's First Supersonic Cruise Missile, in February Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- The Indian Air Force is set to become the first to possess a cruise missile capable of breaking the sound barrier, with the successful integration of its Brahmos rockets with Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
• October 24, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2016
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Los Angeles, CA, 10/24/2016 The White House 24 Oct 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 24, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 24 October 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Oct 2016
• New approach to internal displacement must aim for prevention, better solutions - UN deputy relief chief UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- With efforts to respond to the plight of more than 60 million internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world is falling short, a senior United Nations humanitarian official reiterated the UN relief wing's call for a new approach to the crisis, in terms of coordination as well as better prevention and better solutions.
• China will never allow US to run amok in South China Sea: People's Daily People's Daily 24 Oct 2016 -- China will never allow the US to run amok in South China Sea waters, the People's Daily asserted in a commentary on Sunday after a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Decatur, sailed through the waters of the Xisha Islands on Friday without the Chinese approval.
• Turkey's Syria offensive claims 100 civilian lives: Group Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- At least 100 civilians have been killed in a two-month military operation by Ankara and Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria, a monitoring group says, as pressures grow on Ankara to stop the drive which many suspect is really meant to battle militants.
• UN aid chief voices 'deep frustration' as medical evacuation plan for Aleppo scrapped UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief said today he is "deeply frustrated and saddened" that the UN and its partners have been forced to abort current plans to evacuate critically injured and sick people from eastern Aleppo, Syria's iconic city being razed by war.
• Syrian army liberates strategic hilltop in militant-held parts of Aleppo Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Syrian government soldiers, backed by fighters from popular defense groups, have managed to liberate a strategic high ground in the city of Aleppo from the clutches of foreign-sponsored militants amid attempts to flush the extremists out of the strategic northwestern city.
• Russia not mulling extension of Aleppo truce: Deputy FM Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Russia says it is not considering any extension of a ceasefire in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, where Moscow and Damascus had introduced a "humanitarian pause."
• Syrian Air Force Drops Leaflets With Last Call on Militants to Leave Aleppo Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- The Syrian Air Force dropped leaflets in eastern Aleppo calling militants to exit the area, according local source.
• US Scrambles to Contain Flaring Turkey-Iraq Tensions VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- U.S. officials are scrambling to contain flaring tensions between Ankara and Baghdad after Turkish officials announced their troops Sunday shelled Islamic State positions near the Iraqi city of Mosul - an artillery barrage, the Turks say, requested by Kurdish peshmerga commanders.
• In Smoke and Ruins, Iraqi City Celebrates IS Defeat VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- "We can't even wash our hands because there is just barely enough water to drink," says Intisar, leaning on her tin door frame in the city of Qayyarah, Iraq. She is surrounded by her three daughters – their clothes, faces and hands all blackened with oil residue.
• Amid Heavy Resistance, Iraqi Forces Make Solid Progress AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- While Iraqi and Kurdish forces face heavy resistance from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant about 10 miles out from Mosul, Iraq, Pentagon press operations director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today that there continues to be solid progress in the efforts to liberate the city from ISIL control.
• Iraqis Taking Ground from ISIL Around Mosul, Officials Say AFPS 24 Oct 2016 -- As of yesterday, Iraqi forces have taken an estimated 800 square kilometers from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the battle for the city that began Oct. 17, U.S. officials told reporters today at a Pentagon briefing.
• Iran rebukes Turkey for violating Iraqi territory under excuse of fight against terror IRNA 24 Oct 2016 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Monday rebuked the Turkish government for violating Iraqi territory under excuse of fight against terrorism without permission from Baghdad government.
• Iraqi forces recapture more villages around Daesh-held Mosul Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi army soldiers, backed by fighters from pro-government Poplar Mobilization Units and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, have retaken more villages from Daesh Takfiri terrorists as part of a massive operation to liberate the northern city of Mosul.
• Iraqi forces advance toward Mosul Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi forces are pushing on toward the center of the strategically-important al-Hamdaniya district in the northeast of Iraq's Nineveh Province, as part of operations to liberate the province's capital, Mosul, and its nearby areas from the Daesh terrorist group.
• Iraqi Troops, Peshmerga Advance On Three Sides of Mosul RFE/RL 24 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are poised on three sides of Mosul after a weekend in which they seized villages and towns to the south, east, and north of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in northern Iraq.
• Iraqi Army Kills 772 Daesh Fighters, Frees 74 Villages Week Into Mosul Offensive Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- 74 villages were freed and 772 Daesh terrorists were killed during the Iraqi army campaign to retake Mosul, according to official statement.
• Iraqi Forces Shell Area East of Mosul VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi forces shelled areas outside of Mosul Monday, as their offensive to retake the country's second-largest city from Islamic State militants entered its second week.
• Myanmar army forces about 2,000 Rohingyas from homes Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- The Myanmar army has forced about 2,000 Rohingya Muslims to abandon their homes in a village, as part of a crackdown on the religious minority following the recent attacks on border security forces.
• Indian forces kill at least 24 Maoist rebels Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Police forces in India have killed at least 24 Maoist rebels in a remote jungle region in the eastern state of Odisha.
• Renewed deadly clashes in north-central Somalia send thousands fleeing in October - UN UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- Some 18 people have been killed and 60 injured due to ongoing fighting in Gaalkacyo, Somalia, over the past two weeks, according to the United Nations humanitarian wing, which also reported today that more than 75,000 people have been displaced, though local authorities have indicated that the number could be higher as more people continue to flee the violence.
• Gunfire erupts between UN peacekeepers, armed men in Central African Republic Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Hundreds of protesters in the Central African Republic (CAR) have called for the departure of United Nations peacekeepers from the country, amid a reported gunfire exchange between the UN forces and an armed group.
• Border firing from Indian Kashmir kills 2 civilians: Pakistan army Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Pakistan's army says Indian troops have opened fire and killed two civilians, including an 18-month-old girl, across the two countries' de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir.
• Stop Supporting Rebels or Else, Sudan Warns South Sudan VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has given Juba two months to force Sudanese rebels operating inside South Sudan to leave the country.
• 70 Daesh-aligned terrorists killed in Egyptian air raids Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- At least 70 Takfiri terrorists have been killed and 70 more wounded in Egyptian Air Force raids in the country's restive Sinai Peninsula.
• Ban hopes South Africa will 'reconsider' decision to withdraw from International Criminal Court UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has regretted the decision of the South African Government to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and expressed hope that the country will reconsider its decision before the withdrawal takes effect.
• South African Opposition Party Challenges Gov't ICC Decision in Court Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- The Democratic Alliance, the main opposition party in South Africa, filed its founding affidavit for direct access to the Constitutional Court, in order to challenge the constitutionality of the South African Government's notice to initiate the process of withdrawing from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

News Reports

• Philippine President's Pro-China Shift Faces Test at Home VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte faces a political test at home as he expects legislators, Cabinet members and the public to accept his controversial proposals for switching allegiance from the country's historic benefactor the United States to a less familiar China.
• US protests Philippine president's 'separation' from Washington Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- The top American envoy for Asia has expressed deep concerns over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's statements against the United States and its leadership.
• Venezuela Congress Says Maduro Government Staged a Coup VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- Venezuela's Congress declared Sunday that the government staged a coup by blocking a referendum effort that could have led to the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.
• KCNA Blasts U.S. Moves to Knock into Shape Triangular Military Alliance KCNA 24 Oct 2016 -- The U.S. is now working in real earnest to knock into shape a triangular military alliance aimed to realize its ambition to dominate the world.
• DPRK Permanent Mission to UN Issues Press Statement KCNA 24 Oct 2016 -- The DPRK Permanent Mission to the United Nations issued a press statement on Oct. 21. It said:
• Commentary: Strict party governance to foster reform, help maintain growth People's Daily 24 Oct 2016 -- Strict governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will strengthen the ruling party's ability in State governance, will help China foster its comprehensive reform, maintain its economic growth and bring benefits to the world.
• China's Anti-Corruption Drive Forges Ahead as Political Reshuffle Looms VOA 24 Oct 2016 -- At a closed door meeting of high-level Communist Party members this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping will make it clear his expansive anti-corruption drive is far from over and that controls will continue to tighten before a major political reorganization late next year.
• Rouhani: Adopting new technology, an aim of nuclear deal IRNA 24 Oct 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani has said one of the objectives of July 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was to gain the world's new technology.
• Iran president says any foreign intervention 'very dangerous' Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic pursues a very transparent stance in combating terrorism in the Middle East, warning of the "very dangerous" consequences of any act of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.
• Militants Holding 200 Cadets Hostage at Pakistan Police Facility Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- A group of militants is holding some 200 cadets after storming a police facility in southwestern Pakistan. At least four people are reportedly wounded, local media reported Monday.
• UN cites 'worrying reversal' in efforts to tackle illicit drugs as Afghan opium production soars UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- Opium production in Afghanistan rose by 43 per cent to 4,800 metric tons in 2016 from 2015, according to the latest figures released today by the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• Russia renews support for oil freeze plan Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Russia has voiced a strong support for a plan to freeze oil output by key producers for the stabilization of global oil markets.
• Saudi officials warn bankruptcy looming Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Two senior Saudi officials have warned that the kingdom could go bankrupt in three years unless serious cuts are implemented to trim the public sector which they have described as inefficient and overstretched.
• India Delays Launch of Dedicated South Asia Satellite Amid Tension With Pakistan Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- India's launch of a satellite on behalf of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was announced two years ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu. However, the launch date has been postponed indefinitely due to disagreements between India and its neighbor over ongoing violence in Kashmir.
• Over 30 Turkish diplomats, families seek asylum in Germany Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Nearly three dozen Turkish diplomats and family members have claimed asylum in Germany over alleged affiliation to the network of US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, whom the government in Ankara claims to have masterminded the failed July 15 coup attempt.
• Total of 35 Turkish Diplomats Apply for Asylum in Germany Since Failed Coup Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- A total 35 people with diplomatic passports from Turkey made requests for asylum in Germany since a failed military coup attempt in Turkey, according to German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth.
• Ukraine to Start Active Phase of Nuclear Waste Storage Construction in 2017 Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- Ukraine is going to start active phase of construction works at its Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility (CSFSF) in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Zone of Alienation in March 2017, the press service of Ukraine's Energoatom nuclear corporation said on Monday.
• Kyrgyzstan's Ruling Coalition Splits After Presidential Party's Withdrawal Sputnik 24 Oct 2016 -- According to statement, president of Kyrgyzstan's Social Democratic Party has withdrawn from the governing parliamentary coalition.
• Nasrallah demands joint efforts to help Lebanon presidential election Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Secretary General of Hezbollah resistance movement, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, has called upon all Lebanese political parties to join forces and put a favorable end to the 30-month presidential void in the Arab country.
• Agrarian newcomers claim victory in Lithuania runoff elections Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- The Lithuanian political party representing farmers and environmentalists has claimed victory in runoff parliamentary elections, which saw voters reject the ruling Social Democrats.
• After hurricane, UN assessment finds 800,000 Haitians in dire need of immediate food assistance UN News 24 Oct 2016 -- An assessment conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), together with the Haitian Government and its National Coordination for Food Security (CNSA), has determined that in the wake of Hurricane Matthew some 1.4 million people are in need of food assistance, 800,000 of whom are in a dire situation.
• Qatar's former emir passes away at 84 Press TV 24 Oct 2016 -- Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar's former ruler and the grandfather of current emir Sheikh Tamim, has died at the age of 84.