Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Islamic State-Claimed Bombing Hits Afghan Capital, Killing 18 VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- Authorities in Afghanistan say a suicide bomber who blew himself up outside a private Kabul education facility has killed at least 18 people and more than 57 others.
• Afghan Officials Say Taliban Kills Six Guards At Major Irrigation Dam RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Oct 2020 -- Afghan officials says Taliban militants have killed six police officers who were guarding one of the country's main irrigation dams in the southwest province of Nimruz.
• Blast Kills Students At Kabul Educational Center RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Oct 2020 -- Afghan officials say at least 18 people have been killed in a suicide bombing that struck outside an educational center in Kabul's Dasht-e Barchi district.
• Bombs claim civilian lives in Kabul, policemen wounded Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- More than 20 civilians, including women, have been killed in bomb attacks carried out in Afghanistan's capital.
• Afghan Security Forces Announce Killing of 'Al-Qaeda Key Member' Abu Muhsin al-Masri Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- Al-Qaeda leader Abu Muhsin al-Masri, also known as Husam Abd-al-Ra'uf and originally from Egypt, was wanted by the FBI for conspiracy to aid foreign terrorist organisations and for killing US nationals.
• 29 Killed in Blast at Education Centre in Kabul - Health Authorities Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- According to the officials, there are children among those killed and injured in the explosion in the Afghan capital.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USNS Laramie Joins USS Ross in the Barents Sea US Navy 24 Oct 2020 -- The Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler USNS Laramie (T-AO-203) rendezvoused with Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) in the Barents Sea, Oct. 22., 2020.
• Military to Play Logistics-Only Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Effort DoD News 24 Oct 2020 -- U.S. military personnel won't be administering any COVID-19 vaccines to the American people once the vaccines are approved for use. But the U.S. military will lend it's experienced hand in logistics to ensure the vaccine is available across the nation, said Paul Mango, the deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Two dead in US Navy plane crash near Gulf Coast Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- A United States Navy training plane has crashed in an Alabama neighborhood killing both servicemen on board.
• 2 crew members killed in U.S. Naval aircraft crash People's Daily 24 Oct 2020 -- Two crew members of a U.S. Naval aircraft were killed as their plane crashed Friday in the southern U.S. state of Alabama.
• NTTR: Scheduling keeps training operations on time, on target US Air Force 24 Oct 2020 -- Operations on the Nevada Test and Training Range are continuous when one training operation finishes, another is right behind it ready to begin.
• Moscow Sends 10 More Armoured Vehicles to Central African Republic, Russian Envoy Says Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- CAR Prime Minister to Arrive in Moscow on Saturday
• Kyrgyzstan Ready to Consider Expansion of Russia's Kant Airbase Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- Kyrgyzstan is ready to consider the expansion of the Russian airbase Kant if such a proposal comes from Moscow or the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), newly-appointed Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev told Sputnik.
• Turkish president says Turkey tests Russian S-400 anti-missile system People's Daily 24 Oct 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Friday that the Turkish army had been testing Russian S-400 anti-missile defense systems.
• Pentagon warns Turkey of 'serious consequences' over missile system test Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- The United States military has warned Turkey of "serious consequences" after Ankara confirmed that it has tested a Russian-made missile defense system.
• Turkey Continuing to Check and Prepare Russian-Made S-400s for Deployment, Defence Minister Says Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- A day before, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Ankara won't be holding any consultations with the US regarding tests of the air defence systems.
• Australia to end naval presence in Middle East by end of 2020 as focus shifts closer to home Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Australia says it will no longer send warships to the Middle East on an annual basis after it pulled out its last frigate deployed there some four months ago, stressing that Canberra will end its naval presence in the region by the end of this year.
• Remarks by President Trump After Air Force One Arrival | Columbus, OH The White House 24 Oct 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemen's Qasef-2k drones target Saudi airports, air base, in response to escalation, continued siege Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Yemeni forces have carried out fresh drone attacks against two airports and an air base in Saudi Arabia in retaliation against Riyadh's deadly aggression on their impoverished country.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden UAV Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom SPA 24 Oct 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki: "Joint Coalition Forces have intercepted and destroyed this evening (Saturday) a bomb-laden UAV launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the Southern Region."
• Fighting Over Nagorno-Karabakh Continues After Armenia, Azerbaijan Hold U.S. Talks RFE/RL 24 Oct 2020 -- Azerbaijani and Armenian forces have continued to clash in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington to discuss how to resolve the decades-long conflict.
• Heavy Fighting Continues Over Nagorno-Karabakh VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- Heavy fighting continues over the Nagorno-Karabakh region as Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of shelling residential areas.
• The United States Announces Humanitarian Assistance for the Crisis Response in Sudan US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2020 -- The United States announced $81 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
• Sudan's normalization with Israel great betrayal: Palestine official Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Palestinians have denounced as "great betrayal" Sudan's recent decision to follow the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in forging diplomatic relations with Israel.
• Iran: US secured Sudan's normalization deal with Israel through 'ransom' Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has denounced a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Sudan to begin normalizing relations as a "ransom" paid by Khartoum in return for Washington taking it off a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism.
• UN expresses hope 'new opportunities' will arise from Sudan's recognition of Israel UN News 24 Oct 2020 -- The UN chief on Saturday said he was taking note of the announcement that Sudan has agreed to normalize relations with Israel, expressing hope that further cooperation will advance international peace and prosperity.
• Iran welcomes ceasefire agreement between warring sides in Libya: FM spox IRNA 24 Oct 2020 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Saturday that Iran welcomes the ceasefire agreement between the warring parties in Libya.
• Iran hails UN-brokered ceasefire deal in Libya, urges dialog to resolve crisis Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Iran has welcomed a permanent UN-brokered ceasefire agreement between warring sides in Libya, saying the crisis in the North African country should be resolve through dialog.
• UN chief welcomes Libya cease-fire accord People's Daily 24 Oct 2020 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the signing of a cease-fire agreement by the Libyan parties in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations.
• Pakistani Police Say Four 'Terrorists' Killed In Balochistan Province RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Oct 2020 -- Police in southwestern Pakistan say they've killed four "terrorists" from a banned group during an overnight security operation.
• Indian Army Claims to Have Downed Pakistani 'Spy' Drone Along Line of Control in Kashmir Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- Arch-rivals India and Pakistan often accuse each other of violating their respective airspace by flying quadcopters across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Since January of this year, over half a dozen Indian quadcopters have been shot down by the Pakistani Army on charges of alleged airspace violations.

News Reports

• Navalny's Poisoning Spooked Russia. The Politicians He Nurtured Say 'It Motivated Us.' RFE/RL 24 Oct 2020 -- When Aleksei Navalny arrived in this Siberian city in August, the opposition leader gathered supporters at his local headquarters to applaud their efforts in an ongoing regional election campaign and give a motivating speech tinged with his usual mix of sarcasm and dark humor.
• Iran needs unity, solidarity more than ever: Ayatollah Khamenei Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran at the current critical time requires "cooperation, unity and solidarity" more than ever.
• Lukashenka, Pompeo Speak By Phone As Belarusian Opposition Deadline Looms RFE/RL 24 Oct 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as pressure mounts on the authoritarian ruler ahead of an opposition ultimatum to end his reign or face increased nationwide protests and strikes.
• Removing Cuba's Military from the Remittance Process US Dept. of State 24 Oct 2020 -- Yesterday, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action to remove Cuba's military from the process of sending remittances to Cuba.
• France Recalls Its Ambassador to Turkey as Erdogan Claims Macron Needs 'Mental Checks' Sputnik 24 Oct 2020 -- The development follows Turkish President Erdogan's harsh reaction towards new measures that his French counterpart announced in response to the beheading of a school teacher by a Muslim refugee for showing Prophet Muhammad cartoons to pupils in a Paris suburb.
• France recalling ambassador to Turkey over Erdogan's remarks about President Macron Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- France says it is summoning its ambassador to Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron should undergo medical treatment over his Islamophobic comments.
• Macron needs 'mental health treatment' for Islamophobic attitude: Erdogan Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- 'What is the problem of this person called Macron with Muslims and Islam? Macron needs treatment on a mental level.'
• 'New Faces' For Ukraine: Local Elections Mark A Big Step Toward Decentralization Of Power RFE/RL 24 Oct 2020 -- In Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryviy Rih, 440 kilometers south of Kyiv, things are about to change - as they are across the country.
• Ethiopia summons US ambassador over Trump remarks on dam explosion Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- Ethiopia has summoned the US ambassador to Addis Ababa over comments by President Donald Trump about exploding the Nile dam.
• Trump says Egypt will 'blow up' Ethiopia dam Press TV 24 Oct 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has said that Egypt will destroy a new Ethiopia's dam built on the Nile River.
• Kyrgyzstan Schedules Early Presidential Election For January 10 RFE/RL 24 Oct 2020 -- The press service for Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission (BShK) says an early presidential election has been scheduled to take place on January 10.
• Thai Protest Leader: 'Our Demands Are Supremely Clear' VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- On Monday, the Thai parliament will open a special session called after protests swelling since August moved Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to declare a weeklong state of emergency in the Bangkok area.
• Guinea Braces for More Unrest as Opposition Challenges Election Results VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- The West African nation of Guinea is bracing for more postelection unrest after the country's Election Commission on Saturday declared full preliminary results showing President Alpha Conde was reelected for a third term.
• Egyptians Vote in First Round of Parliamentary Elections Amid Calls for Stability VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- Egypt is holding the first round of elections for its lower chamber of parliament Saturday in 14 of the country's 27 provinces. The second round is due to be held in the rest of the country early next month, with final results expected in December.
• Cleanup Underway in Lagos After Violence Over Police Killing of Protesters VOA 24 Oct 2020 -- Workers began cleaning Lagos' streets Saturday as businesses reopened after a 24-hour curfew was relaxed. The curfew had been imposed following days of violence triggered by the police killing of peaceful protesters demanding an end to police brutality.