Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 24 Oct 2017[PDF]
• Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting five strikes consisting of six engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Afghan Opium Production Reaches Record High VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- Afghanistan, the world's largest producer of opium, has harvested a record crop this year that more than doubled last year's production, a bad omen for fighting terrorism and organized crime, officials say.
• Afghanistan Lauds India's Role in US New South Asia Strategy VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, on a visit to New Delhi, praised the role outlined for India in Washington's new South Asia strategy, which calls on New Delhi to help bring economic stability and development to the war-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• No Thanks: US Air Force Has No Plans to Use Trump Order to Recall Retired Pilots Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order intended to address the large pilot shortage in his country's military. The US Air Force, however, says it does not intend to put the recall order to use.
• F-35A scheduled for first operational deployment to Indo-Asia-Pacific AFNS 24 Oct 2017 -- Approximately 300 Airmen and 12 F-35A Lightning IIs from Hill Air Force Base, Utah's 34th Fighter Squadron are set to deploy to Kadena Air Base, Japan for a six month rotation. The aircraft and supporting personnel are scheduled to arrive at Kadena AB in early November 2017.
• Dunford: Battle Against Violent Extremism at Inflection Point AFPS 24 Oct 2017 -- The conflict against extremist organizations is at an inflection point, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
• Combat Search, Rescue Exercise Pacific Thunder Begins in South Korea AFPS 24 Oct 2017 -- One of the largest joint combat search and rescue exercises in the Pacific region, Exercise Pacific Thunder 18-1, kicked into full swing yesterday at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
• Defense Secretary Affirms Commitment to Asia-Pacific Region AFPS 24 Oct 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis participated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus today in Clark, the Philippines, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said in a statement following the meetings.
• New uniform provides lighter weight without breaking sweat Army News 24 Oct 2017 -- The current Army Combat Uniform top weighs in at about 650 grams, or about 1.4 pounds. It's got a lot of pockets and multiple layers of fabric. When it gets wet, it tends to stay wet. And when it's hot out, it tends to keep Soldiers hot.
• Exercise Warhorse Fury ensures readiness, builds cohesion Army News 24 Oct 2017 -- A cold wind swept across the land in the early morning as a Stryker Combat Vehicle made its way into position. Inside the more than 16 tons of steel, a crew scanned for targets in the area. Suddenly, a deafening and repeating burst of machine gun fire was heard as the Stryker's gunner engaged targets with the vehicle's M2 50 Cal.
• Army's tactical network equipment providing communication lifelines in hurricane devastation Army News 24 Oct 2017 -- In the aftermath of the monster hurricanes that hit the U.S. mainland and its island territories, the Army is providing the network communications needed to help get these storm ravaged areas back on their feet.
• Exercise Angel Strike: Kuwaiti Land Forces and U.S. Field Artillery build interoperability Army News 24 Oct 2017 -- Officers of the Fires and Effects Coordination Cell for the 75th Field Artillery Brigade and commanding officers of 23rd Multi-launch Rocket System Field Artillery Battalion, Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), observed as Soldiers from the Kansas Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery conducted Engagement Angel Strike, Oct. 5, 2017.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' ADMM-Plus Meeting DoD 24 Oct 2017
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' Meeting with Vietnam Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich DoD 24 Oct 2017
• Remarks by Secretary Mattis, Minister Onodera and Minister Song at the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in the Philippines DoD 24 Oct 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera; South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo
• MASS-2 completes DASC operations in South Korea USMC News 24 Oct 2017 -- More than 130 Marines and Sailors with Marine Air Support Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 18, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, deployed the Direct Air Support Center and an Air Support Element to Camp Story, South Korea, for exercise Midori Guardian 17 from September 5 to October 15, 2017.
• Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Enters 7th Fleet NNS 24 Oct 2017 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations (AOO) Oct. 23, to conduct maritime security operations, theater security cooperation and port visits as part of the U.S. Navy's ongoing presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• US and ROK Forces Complete MIWEX NNS 24 Oct 2017 -- Maritime forces from the U.S. and Republic of Korea successfully completed the Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise (MN MIWEX), Oct. 22.
• USS San Diego Departs Souda Bay, Greece After Successful MDVR NNS 24 Oct 2017 -- The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) departed Souda Bay, Greece, after a scheduled port visit for San Diego's mid-deployment voyage repair maintenance visit Oct. 21, 2017.
• Farragut to Truman: Fill 'er Up NNS 24 Oct 2017 -- Sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) performed a simulated replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with USS Farragut (DDG 99) Oct. 23, as part of Truman's Tailored Shipboard Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP).
• US sending F-35 jets to Japan amid North Korea standoff Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The US Air Force is planning to deploy as many as 12 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Japan over the coming days, a move that is expected to kick up tensions with North Korea.
• Pentagon Shoots Down Reports of 24-Hour Nuke Alert Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- A Defense Department official on Monday denied reports that preparations are underway to put B-52 nuclear bombers on 24-hour alert.
• NATO Secretary General: Bosnia and Herzegovina is a highly valued NATO partner NATO 24 Oct 2017 -- NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed the Chairman of the Tri-Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Dragan Čović, to NATO Headquarters today (24 October 2017). Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Bosnia and Herzegovina for its commitment to international security, including its contributions to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.
• Qatar opens military office in US amid Persian Gulf tensions Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Qatar has opened a new military office in the United States as a diplomatic crisis between Doha and its Persian Gulf neighbors continues unabated.
• Qatar Opens Military Hub in Washington Amid Persian Gulf Crisis Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- Qatar, which is host to Washington's largest airfield in the Middle East, has opened a military facility in the United States, a move that certainly carries diplomatic weight as the Gulf crisis is far from being over.
• Serbian Defense Minister Denounces U.S. Official's 'Unfriendly' Remarks RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin has criticized as unfriendly remarks by a senior U.S. diplomat who suggested that Belgrade's balancing act between Moscow and the West is unsustainable.
• Serbian Defense Chief Slams US Diplomat for 'Hostile' Remarks VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- Serbia's defense minister on Tuesday criticized remarks by the top U.S. diplomat in the region, who recently called on Belgrade to choose between aligning itself with either Washington and Brussels or Moscow if it intends to secure European Union status.
• Indian Aerospace Behemoth Strongly Advocates FGFA Project With Russia Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- A high-level committee set up by the Indian government to examine various aspects of the project has recently submitted a report, and the defense ministry is likely to take a call on it soon.
• Russia to Upgrade India's Frontline Fighter Jet Su-30MKI Into Super Sukhoi Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- From new sensors to radars, the fleet will see a major change in the cockpit as well. The two-stage modernization program will cost approximately US $6 billion.
• Iran's missile program isn't open to negotiation: UN envoy ISNA 24 Oct 2017 -- Iranian deputy ambassador to the United Nations Es'haq Al-e Habib says the country's missile program is not open to negotiation and will continue with strength and according to the Islamic Republic's national defense agenda.
• Iran-Azerbaijan Defense Commission held to enhance ties Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- High-ranking Iranian and Azeri military officials have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two neighboring countries in the defense sector.
• Beijing Beefing Up Fighting Capacity in Disputed South China Sea Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The People's Liberation Army-Navy's South Sea Fleet has deployed a squadron of submarines to the disputed waters of the South China Sea to increase battle readiness, the South China Morning Post reported Saturday.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 10/24/2017, #26 The White House 24 Oct 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 24, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 24 October 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Oct 2017
• Syria calls on UNSC to immediately stop US-led coalition crimes Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry has called on the UN Security Council to take immediate measures to put an end to the atrocities of the US-led coalition against the people in the country.
• Daesh controls less than 5% of Syrian territory: Russia Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Moscow says less than five percent of the Syrian territory remains under the grip of Daesh terrorists as government forces, backed by Russian air power, press ahead with an offensive to drive the Takfiri outfit out of its main stronghold in eastern Syria.
• Under SDF rule, Raqqah can't be called liberated: Syria Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- A Syrian minister says no land is considered liberated in the country unless national army forces regain control of it and raise the Syrian flag atop its buildings.
• Damascus Urges UNSC to Put End to Coalition's Alleged 'Crimes' Against Civilians Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The US-led coalition, whose operation in Syria had not been authorized by the UN or Damascus, has denied that its airstrike resulted in civilian casualties in Deir ez-Zor.
• Russia Vetoes UN Resolution To Extend Syrian Chemical-Weapons Probe RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended for one year the work of international inspectors investigating chemical-weapons attacks in Syria.
• Russia Vetoes UNSC Resolution on Probing Syria Chemical Attacks Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- Moscow has repeatedly called for a thorough investigation into chemical attacks in Syria, in particular, the April Khan Sheikhoun incident that killed at least 80 people. The US and its allies accused Damascus of the chemical attack, while the Syrian government insisted that it has no such weapons since 2014.
• Russia Vetoes UN Resolution to Extend Syria Gas Attacks Probe VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- Russia used its U.N. veto Tuesday to block a resolution extending the mandate of the investigators probing chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
• Security Council fails to extend mandate of panel investigating use of chemical weapons in Syria UN News 24 Oct 2017 -- The Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a resolution extending the mandate of a joint United Nations-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon (OPCW) body to identify the perpetrators of chemical-weapons attacks in Syria due to a 'no' vote by permanent member Russia.
• Hashd al-Sha'abi commander calls for US forces withdrawal from Iraq Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- A top commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Sha'abi) has called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq after the elimination of Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
• Iraqi Army Denies Claims of Clashes With Kurdish Peshmerga Near Syrian Border Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have escalated after an independence referendum had been held in the Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as in disputed areas.
• India Appoints Former Intel Chief as Emissary to Douse Separatism in Kashmir Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- Facing stiff resistance from the pro-separatist groups in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government seems to have shifted gears, favoring dialogue rather than confrontation in dealing with terror elements, violence and protests in the state.
• US 'considering sanctions' against Myanmar Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The United States says it is considering sanctions against parties responsible for the atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
• US Revokes Aid to Myanmar Military, Eyeing Sanctions Over Rohingya Crisis Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The United States has announced new restrictions concerning engagement with the Myanmar military over the violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State. Washington is also weighing economic measures against those involved in the reported atrocities.
• Briefing by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia W. Patrick Murphy on Burma US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2017 -- Special Briefing by W. Patrick Murphy, Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma
• UN migration agency delivers hygiene kits to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh UN News 24 Oct 2017 -- Soap, toothbrushes, water containers and liquid antiseptic are among the items the United Nations migration agency is distributing to the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees that have settled in sprawling camps that cover the Cox's Bazar district of southern Bangladesh.
• US Not Yet Classifying Violence Against Myanmar Rohingya as 'Ethnic Cleansing' VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. officials have declined to refer to violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar as ethnic cleansing before they complete a review into the issue.
• US Lawmakers: Ethnic Cleansing Taking Place in Myanmar VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to declare that ethnic cleansing is taking place against the Rohingya Muslim population in Myanmar – a majority-Buddhist nation also known as Burma, which has seen improved ties with Washington in recent years.
• Widespread militia activity, political unrest drive millions from their homes in DR Congo, UN warns UN News 24 Oct 2017 -- Some 3.9 million people across several regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been displaced from their homes, and amid growing violence and unrest, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday that the number could rise even further.
• UNHCR: Congo Displaced Crisis Growing VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- The U.N. refugee agency says the displacement crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo is worsening and causing havoc and unmitigated suffering for millions of people in key regions of the country.
• Haley: Africa's Violence Could Become US Security Threat VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley warned that Africa's violence and humanitarian disasters could spread into larger security threats to the United States. In order to stem the growing conflicts, the U.S. envoy is traveling to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in one of the first visits to the continent by a senior member of the Trump administration.

News Reports

• US Supreme Court drops hearing on Trump's travel ban Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The US Supreme Court has formally dropped plans to hear a legal challenge brought by Hawaii against an earlier version of President Donald Trump's travel ban on nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries.
• US to Intensify Refugee Screening, as Partial Ban Expires VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- A four-month review of the U.S. refugee program mandated by President Donald Trump ends Tuesday, but with new vetting measures on the horizon.
• 5,600 Daesh terrorists return to their countries, including US, UK: Report Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- A new report has found out that at least 5,600 Daesh (ISIL) terrorists have returned to their countries, including the US and UK, as the terror group loses ground in Syria and Iraq.
• Report: Russia, Former Soviet Region Largest Source For Foreign Fighters In Syria, Iraq RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- A U.S.-based security research firm says Russia, and the former Soviet region more broadly, is the single largest source for foreign militants fighting in Syria and Iraq.
• New Cyberattacks Hit Ukraine, Russia RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- A cyberattack on October 24 targeted a major Ukrainian international airport, the Kyiv subway ticketing system, and three Russian media outlets.
• Catalonia Vows to Appeal Invoking of Article 155 in Constitutional Court Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The Article 155 of the Spanish constitution may allow partial suspension of Catalonia's autonomy.
• Catalan leaders vow to appeal application of Article 155 by Spain government Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Authorities in the regional government of Catalonia have vowed to appeal the application of Article 155 in the Constitutional Court, which allows Madrid to wrest back control of the rich region and to suspend its autonomy.
• China Focus: Xi's thought enshrined in CPC Constitution People's Daily 24 Oct 2017 -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) added "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" to its Constitution on Tuesday.
• Xi Jinping elected into new CPC Central Committee People's Daily 24 Oct 2017 -- Xi Jinping was elected into the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the closing session of the 19th CPC National Congress here on Tuesday.
• Li Keqiang, other Party officials in new CPC Central Committee People's Daily 24 Oct 2017 -- Wang Huning, Liu Qibao, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Zhang Chunxian, Zhao Leji, Hu Chunhua, Li Zhanshu and Han Zheng were elected into the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) here Tuesday at the closing of the 19th CPC National Congress.
• In historic move, China puts Xi's name in constitution Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- China's governing Communist Party has formally enshrined President Xi Jinping's eponymous ideology in the constitution, making him the only leader after founder of modern China Mao Zedong to receive that status.
• China's Ruling Party Prioritizes Massive Army Upgrade, Silk Road Project Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- China's ruling party has adopted a resolution that is set to reinforce the country's armed forces, which have already been significantly modernized.
• Russia criticizes US, regional allies' missile warning drills over Korean Peninsula Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Russia has criticized the United States for conducting joint military drills with its regional allies, Japan and South Korea, over the Korean Peninsula in a declared aim of preparing to counter any potential threat posed by North Korea's ballistic missiles.
• UN Security Council Expands List of Items Banned From Export to North Korea Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The UN Security Council has expanded export prohibitions to North Korea. The UN committee that monitors sanctions against Pyongyang has added 32 goods to the list of banned items that have both civilian and military uses.
• Iran Foreign Ministry submits 7th report on JCPOA to parliament Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has handed over its seventh quarterly report about the multilateral nuclear deal with six world powers to the parliament (Majlis).
• Russian Senate urges US Congress to sustain Iran nuclear deal Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Lawmakers in the upper house of Russia's parliament are set to call on their colleagues in the US Congress and other Western legislatures to do all in their power to help protect the multilateral Iran nuclear deal, which they say is under threat by US President Donald Trump.
• Rouhani says Trump's attempts to undermine JCPOA have failed Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stressed that all of US President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine the nuclear deal have so far failed.
• U.K. Foreign Minister Sees 'No Doubt' Iran Nuclear Deal Will Survive Despite Trump Move RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson says there is "absolutely no doubt" the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers will survive despite the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump not to recertify the deal.
• Trump's mud-slinging can't hurt Iranian people's defense, resistance ISNA 24 Oct 2017 -- Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that people like US President Donald Trump can't hurt the defense, resistance and glory of the Iranian people.
• Mossad agent sentenced to death: Tehran prosecutor Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Iran has sentenced to death an individual found guilty of cooperating with Israel's Mossad spy agency and providing information to it, Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Ja'afari Dolatabadi says.
• Kurds freeze independence vote, call for ceasefire Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has said that it will freeze the results of a recent vote for independence from Iraq.
• Tillerson Urges Iraqis, Kurds To Settle Differences, Commit To Country's Unity RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson says there is "absolutely no doubt" the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers will survive despite the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump not to recertify the deal.
• Iraqi Kurd Elections Postponed for 8 Months VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- Elections for president and parliament in Iraq's Kurdistan will be delayed for eight months after political parties failed to present candidates, the regional parliament said Tuesday.
• Iraq's Kurdistan to hold fresh elections in 8 months Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The parliament in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan has announced that legislative and presidential elections that were delayed due the ongoing political stand-off with Baghdad would be held in eight months' time.
• US secretary of state in Pakistan as Washington warns about Taliban 'havens' Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Islamabad amid Washington's allegations that Pakistan is providing "safe havens" for Taliban militants.
• Tillerson Receives Cold Welcome During Pakistan Visit RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on October 24 visited Pakistan amid fraying bilateral relations prompted by Washington's accusation that Islamabad is allegedly providing "safe havens" for Taliban militants.
• Tillerson Presses Pakistan to Step Up Anti-Terrorism Efforts VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson undertook his inaugural visit to Pakistan to urge the country's leaders to step up counter militancy and counterterrorism efforts.
• China Turning Pakistan Port Into Regional Giant VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- An unprecedented Chinese financial and construction effort is rapidly developing Pakistan's strategically located Arabian Sea port of Gwadar into one of the world's largest transit and transshipment cargo facilities.
• Sobchak Launches Campaign For Kremlin With Call To Release 'Political Prisoners' RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- Socialite and opposition-minded journalist Ksenia Sobchak has called on the authorities to release all political prisoners as she gave her first press conference since announcing she will run in the presidential election set for March.
• Russian Prosecutor-General Urges U.S. Attorney General To Probe Browder RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- Russian Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika has urged U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to launch a criminal case against British investor William Browder, the man who had initiated the Magnitsky Act, which sanctions Russians for alleged human rights abuses.
• Russian Prosecutor General Asks US to Initiate Criminal Case Against Browder Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- The Hermitage Capital Management CEO was charged in Russia with tax evasion and sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison.
• Russia Considers Philippines Promising Regional Partner - Defense Minister Sputnik 24 Oct 2017 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has held a meeting with his Philippine counterpart Delfin Lorenzana to discuss military and defense cooperation as the leaders of the two states had previously agreed on Russian arms supplies to help Manila's fight against terrorism.
• Ankara's mayor resigns under pressure from President Erdogan Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- The long-serving mayor of Turkey's capital Ankara has announced his resignation after coming under pressure from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking changes to the image of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) party ahead of the 2019 elections.
• Turkey Puts More Rights Advocates on Trial, Raising International Concerns VOA 24 Oct 2017 -- A trial begins in Istanbul Wednesday for eleven prominent human rights activists, including two foreign nationals, in a case that is drawing criticism from international human rights organizations who say it is part of a campaign by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to silence criticism and scrutiny in Turkey in the wake of last year's coup attempt.
• UK wants swift deal with EU on Brexit transition: PM's spokesman Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Britain says it wants a swift agreement with the European Union on the principles of a post-Brexit trading relationship to reassure businesses over trading rules after Britain exits the bloc in March 2019.
• Saakashvili Rallies Supporters As Kyiv Moves To Extradite Him RFE/RL 24 Oct 2017 -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has called upon his supporters in Ukraine to protect him from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
• Four Venezuela opposition governors-elect pledge allegiance to pro-government assembly Press TV 24 Oct 2017 -- Four of Venezuela's five newly-elected state governors affiliated with the opposition have pledged allegiance to the pro-government Constituent Assembly, which they had earlier rejected as illegitimate.