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Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• White House may keep 500 troops in Syria to control oil fields: Report Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- The White House is planning to keep 500 US troops in parts of northeastern Syria to focus on guarding oil fields there and sending more battle tanks to protect them, according to a report.
• Pentagon Plans To Bolster Forces In Northeast Syria To Protect Oil Fields From Islamic State RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- The Pentagon says it will bolster the U.S. military presence in a northeastern region of Syria to prevent potentially resurgent Islamic State (IS) extremists from seizing the oil fields.
• NATO Defends Commitment To Afghan Mission RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- NATO has reaffirmed its commitment to the long-running Afghanistan mission and said it will ensure its deployment there remains "sustainable."
• F-16s arrive at Bagram Airfield CENTCOM 25 Oct 2019 -- U.S. Airmen and equipment assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and other supporting units out of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., arrived at Bagram Airfield Oct. 25.
• Pakistan, China, Russia, US Agree to Meet for New Afghan Talks - Diplomat Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Envoys from Pakistan, China, Russia and the United States "categorically" agreed at Afghan consultations in Moscow on Friday that the US-Taliban talks should be resumed, Pakistani Additional Foreign Secretary Muhemmed Aejaz revealed.
• Russia Hosts 4-Nation Afghan Peace Talks, China to Set Up Intra-Afghan Conference VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Russia, China and Pakistan have called for an early resumption of negotiations between the United States and the Taliban to reach an agreement about ending the war in Afghanistan.
• Suspected US Airstrike Hits Islamic State Militants in Somalia VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- A suspected U.S. airstrike hit a base belonging to Islamic State militants in Somalia's Puntland region, according to local residents.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Announces Enterprise General Purpose Cloud Contract Award DoD 25 Oct 2019 -- Over the last two years the Department of Defense has awarded more than $11 billion across 10 separate cloud contracts. As we continue to execute the DOD Cloud Strategy, additional contracts are planned for both cloud services and complementary migration and integration solutions necessary to achieve effective cloud adoption.
• VOA Interview with US AFRICOM Spokesman VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The U.S. military says there are fewer than 150 Islamic State fighters left in Libya.
• Air Force requests proposals for light attack aircraft US Air Force 25 Oct 2019 -- The Air Force released final requests for proposal Oct. 24 for a limited number of Textron Aviation AT-6 and Sierra Nevada Corporation/Embraer Defense & Security A-29 aircraft.
• Esper Details Moves in Syria, Discusses NATO Meetings DoD News 25 Oct 2019 -- Not all U.S. troops will leave Syria, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said today at the conclusion of NATO meetings in Brussels.
• 3rd Marine Division participates in Fuji Viper 20-1 USMC News 25 Oct 2019 -- U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, currently deployed 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, as part of the Unit Deployment Program, are participating in Fuji Viper 20-1 in Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Gotemba, Japan from Sep. 29 to Nov. 4, 2019.
• USS Gerald R. Ford Returns to Sea NNS 25 Oct 2019 -- USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) got underway today for sea trials from Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) division following a 15-month pierside maintenance period.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Montenegrin Minister of Defense Predrag Boskovic DOD 25 Oct 2019
• Press Conference by Secretary Esper at NATO Ministerial, Brussels, Belgium DoD 25 Oct 2019 -- Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper
• NATO General Secretary Says $100 Billion in Additional Alliance Spending Not Enough for Defence Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The North Atlantic Alliance spent over $1 trillion on defence in 2018, with the bloc's nearest potential adversary China spending $250 billion, while Russia spent $61.4 billion, dropping out of the top five countries by total spending.
• Defence Ministers set the stage for meeting of NATO leaders in London NATO 25 Oct 2019 -- NATO Defence Ministers wrapped up two days of discussions in Brussels on Friday (25 October 2019) to prepare for the meeting of Allied leaders in London. Ministers addressed diverse issues, including the situation in northeast Syria, progress towards fairer burden sharing, NATO missions and operations, and the Alliance's commitment to Afghanistan.
• Four NATO Allies establish a regional Special Forces command NATO 25 Oct 2019 -- On Friday (25 October 2019), the Defence Ministers of Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC). Under the leadership of Hungary, this multinational command will increase the ability of these four nations to effectively employ their special forces.
• Russia Will Take NATO's Increased Presence in Norway Into Account in Its Military Planning - Lavrov Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- This comes amid Norway's latest moves to increase its defence budget to meet NATO's 2% of GDP spending target.
• US' Withdrawal From INF May Trigger Arms Race in Europe, Asia - Russian Defence Minister Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Washington's withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) may trigger an arms race both in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper on Chinese Effort to Lease the Island of Tulagi DOD 25 Oct 2019
• Chinese Armed Drone Passes First Test Flight as US Fears Beijing 'Closing Gap' in UAV Race Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Chinese aerospace company Rainbow UAV Technology's first Taizhou-assembled Rainbow-4 drone recently passed its inaugural test flight - pointing to Beijing's increased armed drone production capabilities.
• 'Extensive Cheating': Chinese Team Disqualified From Military World Games Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- An investigation deemed that Chinese athletes used secret paths, hidden markers and the assistance of 'spectators', after several countries, including Russia, filed a protest.
• US Hopes to Provide State-of-the-Art Fighter Aircraft to India Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The US and India have agreed to move forward with the joint development and manufacturing of military equipment under the umbrella of the India-US Defence Technologies and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
• Concern Grows in South Korea Over Trump Cost-Sharing Demands VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The United States and South Korea this week held fresh negotiations over how to split the cost of the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. The current deal expires at the end of the year, and U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly demanded a fivefold increase in how much Seoul pays.
• Saudi Arabia to Join Major US-Led Naval Drills in the Gulf – Defence Ministry Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The region where the exercise is taking place includes some key chokepoints and shipping routes. The move comes as security concerns are mounting following a series of tanker attacks and a broader deterioration in relations between Iran and the West.
• Serbia Thanks Russia For 'Dramatically Boosting' Its Military RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has praised Russia for sending sophisticated antiaircraft missiles to joint air defense drills.
• Serbian President Confirms Buying Russia's Pantsir-S Missile System, Delivery Expected Soon Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said it had dispatched its S-400 and Pantsir-S missile systems to Serbia to participate in their first-ever military drills abroad.
• CAR Needs More Arms Deliveries From Russia to Properly Accomplish Army Mission - President Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Russian Business Welcome to Invest in CAR, Country Has Much to Offer
• Trump's Foreign Policy Process Stirs Controversy in Washington VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- From making so-called side deals with Ukraine to pulling U.S. forces from northeastern Syria, U.S. President Donald Trump has gone his own way when it comes to conducting U.S. foreign policy. But the Syria decision has sparked widespread opposition in Washington and in the case of Ukraine, critics say Trump sidestepped career U.S. diplomats to further his own interests against a potential election rival.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 25 Oct 2019

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 25, 2019

Other Conflicts

• Yemeni Houthis Advance on Gov't Positions in Saada Governorate Near Saudi Border - Military Source Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Hadi, and the rebel Houthi movement for several years now. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. The conflict has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis.
• Yemeni Government, Southern Pro-Independence Rebels Reach Peace Deal - Reports Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Yemen's government and the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council have reached a peace deal under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing Saudi sources.
• UN says Turkish offensive in north Syria displaced nearly 180,000 people Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- The United Nations says Turkey's now-suspended offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Syria has displaced about 180,000 people, including tens of thousands of children.
• Russia says all US troops must leave Syria as Pentagon plans to keep them Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Russia has called for the withdrawal of all US troops whom it sees as illegitimately deployed to Syria amid reports that the Pentagon plans to send additional troops into northeastern Syria.
• More Russian Military Police Arrive In Syria After Moscow-Ankara Deal RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- Russia says some 300 of its military police have arrived in Syria to patrol the Turkish border area, following an accord between Moscow and Ankara that extended a pause in the Turkish military operation aimed at driving Kurdish fighters away from the area.
• Moscow on US Idea to Deploy 500 More Troops to Syria: Washington Sending Mixed Signals Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Earlier, the US Defence Department has drawn up a plan to send hundreds of soldiers and a tank battalion to guard oil fields in eastern Syria.
• About 300 Additional Russian Military Police Arrive in Syria - Defense Ministry Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Some 300 Russian military police personnel have arrived in Syria to help pullout Kurdish militia from the border with Turkey, the Russian Defence Ministry said Friday.
• Yemeni Houthis Advance on Gov't Positions in Saada Governorate Near Saudi Border - Military Source Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Hadi, and the rebel Houthi movement for several years now. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. The conflict has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis.
• Yemeni Government, Southern Pro-Independence Rebels Reach Peace Deal - Reports Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Yemen's government and the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council have reached a peace deal under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing Saudi sources.
• Rights body throws doubt on Dhaka's plan to relocate Rohingya to remote island Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- An international rights group has disputed Bangladesh's claims that thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees have agreed to a plan by the government to relocate them to a remote island that is prone to devastating natural disasters.
• Central African Republic: 'Transform dreams of peace into reality': mission chief tells Security Council UN News 25 Oct 2019 -- Updating the Security Council on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday, the head of the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA, called on the country's friends and partners, including the Council, to "transform the dreams of peace, prosperity and development of millions of Central Africans into a lasting reality".

News Reports

• House Democrats Issue 3 More Subpoenas in Impeachment Inquiry VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have issued three more subpoenas to U.S. officials as part of their impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
• Judge validates Trump impeachment inquiry, orders Mueller document release Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- A US judge has validated the legality of the impeachment inquiry launched by the Democrats against President Donald Trump, ordering his administration to hand over an unredacted copy of a report by former special counsel Robert Mueller who investigated the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election.
• US House Democrats subpoena three top White House officials Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have issued subpoenas to three top officials in the White House as part of their impeachment inquiry.
• US Justice Department review of Russia probe turns into criminal inquiry Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- The US Justice Department has shifted its review of the probe into alleged collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump's election campaign in 2016 to a criminal investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter.
• Justice Department Now Investigating Origins of Mueller Probe VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The U.S. Justice department has launched a criminal investigation into the genesis of the special counsel probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.
• Reports: Criminal Investigation Launched Into Mueller's Russia Probe RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the origins of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, The New York Times and a person familiar with the matter said on October 25.
• Fired Trump Advisor Bolton's Lawyers in Touch With Democrats' Impeachment Probe – Report Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- President Trump fired the hawkish foreign policy advisor last month amid reports that the two men had clashed on issues ranging from Iran and Afghanistan to North Korea.
• Gabbard says 'fully committed to serve' as US president Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic White House contender, has announced that she is "fully committed to my offer to serve" as president of the United States and said that she will not seek reelection to Congress.
• The Week In Russia: Let Me Tell You About Ukraine, Mr. President RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- First Bush, then Trump: Vladimir Putin has badmouthed Ukraine to a U.S. leader for at least the second time in his long rule, reports say, poisoning the well in a phone call with President Donald Trump back in May.
• West's hacking allegations aimed at 'driving a wedge' between Iran, Russia: Moscow Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Russia has dismissed a report by Western media this week that Russian hackers had used Iranian computer infrastructure to attack dozens of countries across the world.
• Convicted Russian Agent Butina Released From U.S. Prison, To Be Deported RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- Maria Butina, the Russian gun-rights activist convicted in the United States for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, was released after serving more than 15 months in a Florida prison and is expected to be immediately deported to Russia.
• Foreign Intelligence Service Curbing Attempts to Drop Russian Role in Global Affairs - Head Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is counteracting foreign attempts to diminish Russia's role in the international arena as well as attempts to undermine its stability and economy, SVR head Sergey Naryshkin told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.
• DPRK sends notice to discuss removal of facilities in Mount Kumgang: S.Korea People's Daily 25 Oct 2019 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) sent a notice to South Korea offering to discuss the removal of facilities in the DPRK's scenic resort of Mount Kumgang, South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Friday.
• Treasury and State Announce New Humanitarian Mechanism to Increase Transparency of Permissible Trade Supporting the Iranian People US Treasury 25 Oct 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and State announced a new humanitarian mechanism to ensure unprecedented transparency into humanitarian trade with Iran. This mechanism will help the international community perform enhanced due diligence on humanitarian trade to ensure that funds associated with permissible trade in support of the Iranian people are not diverted by the Iranian regime to develop ballistic missiles, support terrorism, or finance other malign activities.
• Columbus Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Exporting Goods to Iran US Dept. of Justice 24 Oct 2019 -- A Central Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for exporting gas and oil pipeline parts to Iran for more than a decade in deliberate violation of a U.S. embargo and trade sanctions.
• Araghchi: Iran welcoming realistic JCPOA initiatives IRNA 25 Oct 2019 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ryabkov dealt with latest situation surrounding JCPOA in Moscow late on Thursday.
• NAM capable of neutralizing impact of US sanctions: Iran president Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has censured the United States for dominating the international monetary system and misusing dollar, saying the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is capable of countering Washington's illegitimate actions and making its sanctions ineffective.
• Iran warns EU path of diplomacy getting narrower every day Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Iran's deputy foreign minister has warned European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA, that the time is running out and the path to diplomacy is getting narrower and more impassable every day.
• Top Party leadership prepares for session People's Daily 25 Oct 2019 -- Nation's advantages in socialist system urged to be used to improve governance
• China hits out at US over 'standing with' Hong Kong protesters Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- China has denounced "arrogance and hypocrisy" of US Vice President Mike Pence, who once again expressed support for protesters in Hong Kong and accused Beijing of "increased intervention" in its own territory.
• Pence Hits China on Rights, Signals Flexibility on Trade VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- U.S. trade representatives reported progress Friday in the latest discussions with China on a comprehensive trade agreement.
• Pence renews hostile speech, shows 'arrogance, hypocrisy, bias and lies on China' Global Times 25 Oct 2019 -- US Vice President Mike Pence delivered a hostile speech aimed at China during an event organized by the Washington-based think tank Wilson Center on Thursday, with Chinese analysts saying Pence and US President Donald Trump are playing the bad cop - good cop game before the highly anticipated China-US summit in November in a bid to gain leverage on trade talks.
• Why Taiwan Wanted to Try a Murder Suspect, Then Asked Him to Stay Home VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Ten months ago Taiwan issued an order for the arrest of Chan Tong-kai, a 20-year-old man suspected of strangling his pregnant friend to death while the two were visiting from Hong Kong. This past week, when Chan said he was ready to head back from Hong Kong and face prosecution, Taiwan's government said it couldn't let him.
• Protests around the world: Politicians must address 'growing deficit of trust', urges Guterres UN News 25 Oct 2019 -- Protests in cities across the world in recent days show that "people are hurting and want to be heard" by political leaders who must now address a "growing deficit of trust", said the UN chief on Friday.
• Iraq's top Shia cleric calls on police, protesters to keep demonstrations peaceful Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called on protesters and security forces to keep anti-government demonstrations peaceful, amid reports of numerous casualties in recent clashes between the two sides.
• Iraqi PM says protests allowed but violence not tolerated Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has reaffirmed people's right to protest but warned against violence as thousands of people across the country prepare to partake in massive anti-government demonstrations planned for Friday.
• Two Dozen Killed In Renewed Iraqi Protests RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- At least 24 people were killed in fresh protests in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and other cities in the south of the country, a national rights watchdog says.
• Second Protester Dies in Baghdad, Over 350 Wounded - Police and Hospital Sources Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Earlier on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said he would carry out a cabinet reshuffle and change election laws amid a wave of anti-government protests.
• Iraqi Prime Minister Pledges Cabinet Reshuffle, Electoral Law Amendment Amid Protests Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said that he will carry out a cabinet reshuffle and introduce changes to election laws amid a new wave of anti-government protests beginning early on Friday.
• Did Netanyahu visit Saudi Arabia in mysterious Tel Aviv-Riyadh flight? Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- There are speculations that a top Israeli official, perhaps Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has visited Riyadh after revelations that a privately-owned Challenger 604 jet has taken off from Tel Aviv and landed in the Saudi capital.
• Pakistan's Ex-Prime Minister Sharif Granted Bail On Medical Grounds RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- A Pakistani court has granted bail to jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif so he can seek medical treatment.
• Pakistani Court Grants Bail to Ailing Former PM Sharif Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- On 11 October, Pakistan's anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), took Sharif into 14-day physical remand in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, after a local court in Lahore ordered the NAB to present Nawaz on 25 October.
• Turkey Targets Foreign Journalists in Press Freedom Crackdown VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan filed a criminal complaint Friday against a French magazine over a cover accusing him of "ethnic cleansing," according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency.
• EU reins in after UK PM gives ultimatum on Brexit Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- EU officials have put everything on hold after UK PM Boris Johnson threatened to pull his Brexit deal over opposition in the House of Commons.
• Anti-resistance scheme being concocted against Lebanon, Nasrallah warns Press TV 25 Oct 2019 -- The secretary general of the Lebanese resistance movement has warned against fiendish attempts to target the axis of resistance in the wake of ongoing anti-government demonstrations over the country's economic crisis, stating that Hezbollah is well aware of such conspiracies.
• New Pakistani Energy Proposal Could Keep Kyrgyz, Tajiks Warm In Winter -- But At A Price RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- A new proposal by Pakistani officials could bring much needed energy to people in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan during the frigid winters in a long-planned project that will also see Central Asian energy go to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Tajik President Signs Bill On Mass Amnesty To Release Thousands RFE/RL 25 Oct 2019 -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has signed into law a bill enacting a mass amnesty affecting some 20,000 people, including individuals sentenced for "liking online extremist posts."
• Bolivians Block Roads in Protest as Morales Election Win Splits Nation VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Bolivians blocked streets in La Paz on Friday demanding an audit of a controversial election count that handed President Evo Morales a outright win and with it a fourth consecutive term that would extend his rule to nearly two decades.
• Final Results Give Bolivia's Morales Outright Win in Disputed Election VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Bolivia's electoral board has given incumbent Evo Morales an outright win in the country's presidential election.
• Bolivia Electoral Court Confirms Evo Morales Victory in Presidential Election Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The official result was delayed by votes in the Beni region. Now that those votes have been incorporated, the Bolivian authority has declared the victory for Evo Morales.
• Evo Morales Wins Bolivian Presidential Election, Mesa Calls on Supporters to Continue Protests Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- Movement to Socialism leader Evo Morales successfully secured the required 10 percent advantage, now that 99.99 percent of the bulletins have been processed.
• Bolivian Electoral Court Declares Morales Winner of Presidential Election - Report Sputnik 25 Oct 2019 -- The manual vote counting, which began on 20 October, the day of the election, lasted five days.
• US Deplores Haiti Gridlock, Urges Dialogue to Resolve Nation's Problems VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a statement late Thursday on Haiti's acute political and economic crisis, urging stakeholders to start discussing ways to resolve the issues that have paralyzed the nation.
• Zimbabweans Protest Sanctions on Leadership VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Thousands of Zimbabweans marched Friday in Harare to protest sanctions imposed on the country's leadership for most of the past two decades.
• Rwanda Joins African Countries Signing Nuclear Deals with Russia VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- Rwanda is the latest African country to sign a nuclear deal with Russian state atomic company Rosatom. But the deals between Russia and several African countries are raising concerns from environmentalists who say nuclear energy is not always clean and does not come free.
• Ruling Party Wins Botswana Elections VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The Botswana Democratic Party shrugged off a spirited challenge from the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, to keep intact its 53-year, uninterrupted rule.
• US Envoy to Balkans Welcomes Diplomatic Backup on Serbia-Kosovo Talks VOA 25 Oct 2019 -- The White House is expanding and expediting efforts to restart Serbia-Kosovo normalization talks as part of a broader campaign to integrate the Balkans into the Euro-Atlantic community, according to the top U.S. diplomat to the region.