Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan Taliban Hails Trump's Proposed Troop Exit Plan VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The Taliban says U.S. President Donald Trump's intention to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan before the end of the year will bode well for the peace deal between the two adversaries.
• Pentagon Silent on Trump Tweet Calling for Full Afghan Exit by December 25 VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The Pentagon offered no additional details on Afghanistan Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump tweeted that all U.S. forces in the South Asian nation should return home before the end of the year.
• Taliban Welcome Trump's Promise to Withdraw All US Troops by Christmas Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- The Taliban are pleased by recent remarks from US President Donald Trump regarding a complete withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by Christmas, the movement's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday.
• Trump says U.S. troops in Afghanistan should return home by Christmas People's Daily 08 Oct 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that remaining U.S. troops in Afghanistan should return home by Christmas.
• Trump Says He Wants All U.S. Troops Out Of Afghanistan By Christmas RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants all U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan by December 25, which would be sooner than he previously proposed and a speedier withdrawal than his national-security adviser outlined in a speech earlier on October 7.
• Trump says to withdraw forces from Afghanistan by year's end Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The United States is planning to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan by the end of the year, speeding up the timeline for ending America's longest war.
• Moscow Sees Trump's Pledge to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan as Pre-Election Rhetoric Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- US President Donald Trump's claims about the upcoming reduction in US military presence in Afghanistan are likely mere pre-election rhetoric, Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special presidential adviser and the head of the Foreign Ministry's Second Asian Department, told Sputnik on Thursday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Top US General: Coronavirus Quarantine Having 'No Impact' on Readiness VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The top-ranked military officer in the United States is warning adversaries that there has been no letup in the country's defenses even though he and other high-ranking officers have been forced to self-quarantine because of the coronavirus.
• AFICC increases COVID-19 testing capabilities at 42 medical centers US Air Force 08 Oct 2020 -- A new $33 million contract, awarded by the Air Force Installation Contracting Center's 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, is increasing COVID-19 testing at 42 military treatment facilities.
• White House Does Not Think Trump Got COVID-19 From Military Families Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- The White House does not think that US President Donald Trump got the novel coronavirus after meeting with the families of soldiers who died while serving in the military, the White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah told reporters on Thursday.
• Readout of Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Romanian Minister of National Defense Nicolae-lonel Ciuca DoD 08 Oct 2020
• Remarks by Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper and Romania Minister of Defense Nicolae Ciuca DoD 08 Oct 2020 -- Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper; Romanian Minister of Defense Nicolae Ciuca
• DOD Research & Engineering Leaders Brief Reporters on Newest 5G Developments DoD 08 Oct 2020 -- Michael J.K. Kratsios, U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Acting Undersecretary Of Defense (Research And Engineering); Dr. Joseph Evans, Department of Defense Principal Director for 5G; Commander Josh Frey OSD Public Affairs
• DOD Announces $600 Million for 5G Experimentation and Testing at Five Installations DoD 08 Oct 2020 -- Today, the Department of Defense announced $600 million in awards for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites, representing the largest full-scale 5G tests for dual-use applications in the world.
• Tunisian and U.S. Defense Delegations Conduct Discussion of Defense Cooperation DoD 08 Oct 2020 -- The U.S.-Tunisia Joint Military Commission Senior Leader Forum (JMC SLF) was held in Tunis, Tunisia October 6-7, 2020.
• DOD Issues New Data Strategy DoD 08 Oct 2020 -- The Department of Defense has published a new Data Strategy focused on accelerating the Department's transition to a data-centric organization that uses data at speed and scale for operational advantage and increased efficiency. The Strategy emphasizes managing data as a strategic resource, highlighting the criticality of data to build and maintain battlefield advantage, and the need to treat information systems on par with the priority given to weapon systems.
• U.S., Romania Chart 10-Year Road Map for Military Cooperation DoD News 08 Oct 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper welcomed Romanian Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca to the Pentagon today with an enhanced honor cordon.
• Pentagon Reveals Super Hornet Fighters Patrolling Middle East With Stealth-Spotting Infrared Sensors Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- Photos recently posted by the US Navy show its F/A-18F Super Hornets deployed to the Middle East are now carrying new infrared sensor pods capable of spotting stealth aircraft.
• Next-generation helmets keep Defenders lethal, ready US Air Force 08 Oct 2020 -- The Air Force Security Forces Center is delivering the next generation of ballistic helmets to security forces units as part of its effort to standardize and modernize Defender equipment across the Air Force.
• NATO Secretary General: North Macedonia's membership contributes to Euro-Atlantic security NATO 08 Oct 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, at NATO Headquarters on Thursday (8 October 2020). He hailed North Macedonia's membership of NATO on 27 March 2020 as a remarkable achievement "after years of determination and commitments to reform". "It is good for the people of North Macedonia" he said "and it contributes to Euro-Atlantic security".
• State Dept. Says US Monitoring Russian Missile Tests After Zircon Launch Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- The United States is watching Russian missile tests which informs Washington's arms control policies, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday commenting on the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile demonstration.
• Iran defense chief hails Armed Forces as 'thorn in side of enemies' Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has praised the role of the Armed forces in safeguarding the country, describing them as "a thorn in the side" of the Islamic Republic's enemies.
• One killed, one injured in Army tank accident in Kinmen CNA 08 Oct 2020 -- One soldier was killed while another was injured when a tank crashed into an embankment following a drill in the offshore island county of Kinmen on Thursday, military sources said that day.
• MND confirms U.S., Chinese military aircraft activity around Taiwan CNA 08 Oct 2020 -- A U.S. MC-130J military aircraft flew along the median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates China and Taiwan Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that same day.
• O'Brien speech suggests Taiwan has only itself to rely on Global Times 08 Oct 2020 -- By putting forward a so-called "porcupine" strategy and asking the island of Taiwan to buy more weapons, Washington is sending a clear signal that it is reluctant to sacrifice its own interests to battle against Beijing for the sake of Taiwan if a military conflict bursts out, Chinese experts said amid US officials' recent calls for the island to spend more on its own defense.
• From Portsmouth to Odesa, UK and Ukraine naval cooperation on show as Ukrainian President visits HMS Prince of Wales UK MOD 08 Oct 2020 -- The UK and Ukraine underlined their commitment to future defence cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Intent on Wednesday aboard aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
• Qatar makes formal request to US for F-35 jets: Report Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Qatar has reportedly submitted a formal request to the United States to purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets in a deal that could complicate US relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 8, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 8 October 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Oct 2020
• Wave Power: China Uses Offshore Renewable Energy for Paracels Outpost Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- A rare glimpse of a wave power generator among the Paracel Islands – a sign of how China is using offshore renewable energy to supply its isolated islet outposts.
• Yemen's Ansarullah lauds UN envoy's call for ceasefire in Hudaydah despite Saudi violations Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has welcomed the UN special envoy's call on warring sides to put an end to fighting in the strategic western port city of Hudaydah and respect a ceasefire agreement despite frequent violation of the agreement by the Saudi side.
• President Bashar Assad: No Iranian troops in Syria IRNA 08 Oct 2020 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad emphasized on Thursday that "no Iranian troops are in Syria".
• Russia's Assistance 'Turning Point' in Syrian War, Allowing to Crush Terrorists, Bashar Assad Says Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- The war in Syria will continue until every part of the nation's territory is liberated from terrorists, Syrian President Bashar Assad told Sputnik, recalling how Russia's involvement in the conflict at Damascus' request changed the course of events and resulted in a massive counterterrorist advance.
• Text of a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Situation In and In Relation to Syria The White House 08 Oct 2020
• Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate The White House 08 Oct 2020
• Casualties, Accusations Mount in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- After a bomb blast about four days ago, Angela Hovakimyan, 83, and her two daughters fled their homes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting for nearly two weeks.
• Russian-led bloc does not see prospect of intervention in Karabakh conflict Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The head of a Russian-led military alliance, which includes Armenia, says he is confident the ongoing fighting over the Azerbaijani territory of Karabakh will not proceed to a stage to warrant an intervention.
• Geneva to host talks on Karabakh ceasefire on Thursday: France Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The Swiss city of Geneva will host the first round of talks aimed at convincing the Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia to agree on a ceasefire to the ongoing war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the French foreign minister says.
• Trying To Be Neutral: Iran Worried Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Could Turn Into Wider War RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Sharing a frontier with both Armenia and Azerbaijan as they fight a bitter war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory, Tehran is closely watching the conflict amid growing concern it could spill over the border.
• Armenia Accuses Azerbaijan Of Shelling Cathedral In Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of shelling a historic cathedral in territory controlled by ethnic-Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh as fighting over the breakaway Azerbaijani region continues to rage.
• Video Purporting To Show Chechens In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Was Filmed In Crimea RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- On October 4, a short, jumpy video was released to social media purporting to show Chechen fighters in the conflict zone around Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Photos Reportedly Show Turkish F-16 Jets Sent to Azerbaijan After Ankara Dismissed Yerevan's Claim Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- Satellite photos from over the weekend seem to prove the Armenian government's claim that Turkey has secretly sent several F-16 fighter jets to Azerbaijan amid the renewed conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Ankara previously dismissed Yerevan's claims an F-16 had shot down one of its planes as a "cheap propaganda stunt."
• Russian President Vladimir Putin Calls For End to Hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- The Nagorno-Karabakh region saw an escalation of tension on 27 September, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanging accusations of sparking the hostilities. The military actions in the region continue, despite repeated calls by the international community for a ceasefire and resumption of negotiations.
• PLA border troops given ready-to-assemble thermal shelters amid standoff with India Global Times 08 Oct 2020 -- Chinese border troops stationed in plateau areas were recently equipped with ready-to-assemble thermal shelters, a guarantee they can get through the chilly winter and support the military's combat readiness in extreme weather.
• Rohingya Muslim refugees living in 'open prison' in Myanmar: HRW Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced as an "open prison" the refugee camps housing tens of thousands of Rohyngia Muslims in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine and called for an immediate end to the mass detention of the ethnic minority.
• Rights Group Calls for End to Rohingya 'Prison' Camps in Myanmar VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- Myanmar should end the "apartheid regime" that has left thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingya families trapped in stifling displacement camps eight years after deadly communal clashes tore through the Buddhist-majority country's far west, the U.S. advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday.
• UN refugee agency condemns 'brutal and callous' killings in Burkina Faso UN News 08 Oct 2020 -- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has strongly condemned an attack, on the night of 4 October, targeting a convoy carrying internally displaced persons in Burkina Faso, in which 25 people were killed.
• 3 Years Into Insurgency, Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Remains Vulnerable VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- A growing Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique entered its fourth year this week, with experts saying there is no end in sight for a conflict that has killed and displaced thousands of people.

News Reports

• Six Arrested On Federal Charge Of Conspiracy To Kidnap The Governor Of Michigan US DOJ - UASG - WDM 08 Oct 2020 -- United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that six men have been arrested and charged federally with conspiring to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. According to a complaint filed Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta conspired to kidnap the Governor from her vacation home in the Western District of Michigan.
• Six Charged With Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The FBI says it has disrupted a plot to overthrow the government of the Midwestern state of Michigan and its governor, Gretchen Whitmer, ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
• Foreign Actors Focused on US Elections and Spreading COVID-19 Lies, Official Says VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- U.S. officials who analyze and combat disinformation aimed at undermining democracies say foreign actors are now focusing on two topics: spreading falsehoods about coronavirus vaccine development and the U.S. elections.
• Department of Justice Revises Policy Governing Grants Associated with Foreign-Made Unmanned Aircraft Systems US Dept. of Justice 08 Oct 2020 -- The Department of Justice today announced that its Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has issued a revised policy governing the award of grants for the purchase and operation of foreign-made Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The new policy requires grant recipients to utilize OJP funds to procure and operate UAS only in a manner that promotes public safety, protects individuals' privacy and civil liberties, and mitigates the risks of cyber intrusion and foreign influence.
• White House installed Trump's 2016 campaign adviser at key CIA post: Report Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The White House reportedly installed a retired major general who served as a 2016 campaign adviser to then-candidate Donald Trump at a senior advisory role at the CIA earlier this year.
• United States Conducts Training to Identify and Respond to Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction for Assassination US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2020 -- This week, the United States conducted a virtual training with key international partners from across the globe to help first responders, scientists, and security officials detect and respond to incidents where the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is suspected as a tool of assassination.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, October 8, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Oct 2020
• Russia denounces French-German 'blackmail' over Navalny Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Russia has denounced as "unacceptable" a recent statement by France and Germany accusing the Kremlin of poisoning opposition figure Alexei Navalny, saying it amounts to "blackmail."
• Moscow Says Navalny Case Used as Pretext for New Round of Russia Sanctions, Vows Reciprocal Response Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- Previously, France and Germany promised they would send suggestions for targeted sanctions against Russia relating to the Navalny case to their European Union partners in the near future should Moscow not "explain" why and how the political activist had been poisoned.
• New US Aid for Southeast Asia Takes Aim at Chinese Influence VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The U.S. government aims to take another bite out of Chinese influence in Southeast Asia with a partnership to aid five countries that traditionally tap Beijing for help, experts in the region say.
• Chinese envoy refutes accusations by U.S., other countries PLA Daily 08 Oct 2020 -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, on Tuesday refuted groundless accusations against China on issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong by the United States and a few other countries.
• Chinese envoy rejects U.S. accusations at UN PLA Daily 08 Oct 2020 -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday rejected accusations against China by U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.
• China slams Pompeo's accusations, urges U.S. to abandon Cold War mentality PLA Daily 08 Oct 2020 -- A spokesperson for China's embassy in Japan on Wednesday slammed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's accusations against China over issues related to the East and South China Seas, cybersecurity and China-India regional conflicts, urging the U.S. side to abandon its Cold War mentality.
• Experts Weigh Impact of US Immigration Ban on Chinese Communists VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The United States has imposed a broad immigration ban on members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), blocking them from becoming U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Experts said the move further raised tensions between the two countries but might not have as severe an impact as previous measures.
• Groups, Activists Campaign Against China's Bid For UN Rights Council Seat Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- International rights groups are calling on United Nations member states not to vote to allow China to retain its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying Beijing has tried to undermine the international human rights system and continues the mass persecution and incarceration of Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
• Hong Kong Authorities Colluded in Rendition of 12 Detainees to Mainland China: Activists Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- Pro-democracy activists and relatives protested outside the headquarters of the Hong Kong Government Flying Service on Thursday, calling on the authorities for an explanation of flights made by its aircraft on the day that 12 Hong Kong activists were detained by the China Coast Guard as they headed for the democratic island of Taiwan.
• 'No room for secessionism in classrooms,' HK officials say Global Times 08 Oct 2020 -- Hong Kong and central government officials condemned a teacher whose professional credentials have been "deregistered" for systematically spreading pro-secessionism messages, stressing that promotion of secessionism will not be tolerated in Hong Kong's schools.
• Hong Kong Cardinal Fears City's Catholics Will Soon be Under China's Control Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- Recent reports that the Vatican will renew an agreement with Beijing over the running of the Catholic Church in China were swiftly followed by the resignation of Bishop Vincenzo Guo Xijin of Mindong diocese in southeastern Fujian province.
• Ethnic Han Leading Top Xinjiang University Signals End of 'Autonomy' in Region: Observers Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have appointed an ethnic Han Chinese man as president of the region's most prestigious university, in a move observers say is an assault on the last vestiges of so-called autonomy for members of the Uyghur community.
• North Korean Businessman in Malaysia Loses Appeal Against Extradition to US Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2020 -- The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday rejected a North Korean businessman's appeal against being extradited to the United States on money laundering charges, but he will appeal to the Federal Court to reverse that decision, according to his lawyer.
• Zarif reacts to US sanctions: Culprits blocking our money will face justice Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expresses certainty after a frenzy of US sanctions target Iran's banking sector that those starring in the leading and support roles of the inhumane anti-Iran show will eventually face justice.
• Treasury Sanctions Eighteen Major Iranian Banks US Treasury 08 Oct 2020 -- Today, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, identified the financial sector of the Iranian economy pursuant to section 1(a)(I) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which authorizes Treasury to sanction any Iranian financial institution.
• Sanctions on Iran's Financial Institutions US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2020 -- Today, the United States is identifying the Iranian financial sector as subject to the terms of Executive Order (E.O.) 13902 and sanctioning 18 major Iranian banks, further depriving the Islamic Republic of Iran of funds to carry out its support for terrorist activities and nuclear extortion that threatens the world.
• US Announces Sanctions on 18 Iranian Banks VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The U.S. government imposed new sanctions on 18 Iranian banks as Washington turned up the pressure on Tehran by further isolating it from the global banking system and hindering the country's attempts to build nuclear weapons.
• Washington Blacklists Iran's Entire Financial Sector RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Washington has blacklisted virtually all of Iran's financial sector, striking an economy already hit hard by U.S. sanctions.
• US targets Iran's financial sector, imposes sanctions on 18 banks Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- The United States has targeted Iran's financial sector by imposing sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, in defiance of Europe's humanitarian objections.
• More Iranians Give Up On Job Seeking As Official Unemployment Rate Remains Low Radio Farda 08 Oct 2020 -- The Statistics Center of Iran, CSI, says that the number of employed Iranians older than 15 in the summer of 2020 numbered just over 23.5 million people, approximately 1.2 million less than the same period in 2019.
• Top EU diplomat: Sanctions lifting commitments to Iran under JCPOA still in place Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has reiterated his resolve to preserve the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, emphasizing that all sanctions lifting commitments under the deal persist despite US attempts to the contrary.
• Belarus opposition's Tikhanovskaya added to Russia's wanted list on criminal charge Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Russia has placed Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on its wanted list on "a criminal charge" stemming from her public calls to harm the country's security.
• EU Mulls Adding Lukashenka To Blacklist Over Belarusian Election, Crackdown RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- The European Union stands ready to include Alyaksandr Lukashenka on its blacklist of Belarusian officials deemed responsible for electoral fraud and a brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition members, according to a draft document seen by RFE/RL.
• Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic Recall Ambassadors From Belarus RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia announced on October 8 that they are recalling their ambassadors from Minsk, following similar action by fellow EU countries Poland and the Baltic states over the disputed presidential election in Belarus.
• Associate Of Belarusian Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya Detained In Minsk RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Belarusian police say they have detained one of the associates of opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya on suspicion of committing an administrative violation.
• No Criminal Cases Against Tikhanovskaya Launched in Russia Sputnik 08 Oct 2020 -- Russia has not initiated any criminal proceedings against former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, she is on the wanted list only under agreements with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Russian Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
• Britain, Ukraine Sign Partnership Deal With Eye On Russia's 'Malign Influence' RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Britain and Ukraine have signed a bilateral agreement to support Kyiv's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's "malign influence," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office says.
• Kazakh Opposition Leader Charged In France With Embezzlement; Complaint Filed By Kazakh Government RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Kazakh opposition leader Mukhtar Ablyazov has been charged in Paris with embezzling $7.5 billion in a case brought by Kazakhstan, according to one of his lawyers.
• Russia says obliged by security treaty to prevent total govt. breakdown in Kyrgyzstan Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Russia says Moscow has been obliged by a security treaty to prevent a complete breakdown of government in Kyrgyzstan, where rival groups have claimed power in a post-election unrest.
• Kyrgyz President Holds Talks With Lawmakers On Crisis, Impeachment RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who has not been seen in public since his government was ousted by mass protests this week, has held his first round of talks with members of parliament as they look to restore order in the Central Asian nation.
• Who's Who In Kyrgyzstan After The Latest Tumultuous Uprising? RFE/RL 08 Oct 2020 -- Thousands of angry protesters streamed into the streets of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, and other towns and cities across the Central Asian country hours after preliminary results from the October 4 parliamentary elections gave pro-government parties nearly all of the seats in the 120-seat chamber.
• Kuwait's parliament endorses Sheikh Meshal as crown prince Press TV 08 Oct 2020 -- Kuwait's parliament has unanimously voted to endorse Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah as new crown prince of the oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom.
• Upcoming Elections in Africa US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2020 -- The United States is committed to supporting free, fair, inclusive elections. The conduct of elections is important not only for Africans, but also for defenders of democracy around the world. We believe all sides should participate peacefully in the democratic process. Repression and intimidation have no place in democracies.
• Transitional President in Mali appoints new Prime Minister, top UN official tells Security Council UN News 08 Oct 2020 -- Mali's transitional President has appointed a new Prime Minister, the UN's top official in the West African country told the UN Security Council on Thursday, detailing the significant events which has ushered in a new political era, since the 18 August coup d'état.
• UN Envoy Welcomes Transitional Government in Mali VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The U.N.'s top envoy for Mali said Thursday that "success is within reach" with the formation of a transitional civilian government and the lifting of crippling sanctions imposed by West African regional bloc, ECOWAS.
• Malawi President Reviews His 100 Days in Office VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera is asking his country to remain patient as his government tries to improve the economic situation. Chakwera spoke Monday at a news conference in the capital Lilongwe, where he was reviewing the performance of his administration in his first 100 days in office.
• UN to Assist Families Affected by Beirut Blast VOA 08 Oct 2020 -- The United Nations World Food Program has announced it will help pay expenses for people affected by the massive explosion that tore through Lebanon's capital city of Beirut in August.
• Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program Requests Information to Bring Venezuelan National to Justice US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of State announces a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Venezuelan national Samark Jose Lopez Bello for participating in transnational organized crime.