• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S. Central Command Conducts Multiple Strikes on Underground Iran-Backed Houthi Weapons Facilities CENTCOM 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple, precision airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on U.S. Airstrikes in Houthi-Controlled Areas of Yemen DoD 16 Oct 2024 -- "Today, U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen."
• US strikes Houthi weapons storage sites in Yemen VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. forces carried out airstrikes Wednesday against Houthi militant weapons storage sites in Yemen, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
• What Is THAAD And Why Is The U.S. Deploying It To Israel? RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The United States has said it will deploy an advanced antimissile system and around 100 soldiers to operate it to Israel, a key ally.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Danish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen DoD 16 Oct 2024
• Hicks Speaks on Defense-Related Challenges DoD News 16 Oct 2024 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks spoke of the challenges the Defense Department is working to overcome during a talk that marked the 10th anniversary of the Smart Women, Smart Power program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, yesterday.
• CNO Sets 80% Surge Readiness Goal by 2027 DoD News 16 Oct 2024 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti today said that her goal of having 80% of the Navy's ships and aircraft ready to surge on short notice by 2027 may seem ambitious, but that it will be worth all the progress that can be made in pursuit of that total percentage.
• Defense Security Cooperation Agency Director Discusses Focus on Workforce DoD News 16 Oct 2024 -- The recent establishment of the Defense Security Cooperation Service marked a fundamental shift in how the Defense Department will organize, train and equip the security cooperation workforce, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said today.
• Army to pilot secure, cloud environment for small businesses in the defense industrial base US Army 16 Oct 2024 -- Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo announced a new pilot called Next-Gen Commercial Operations in Defended Enclaves that will help small businesses improve cybersecurity. Worked in association with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, N-CODE will combine commercial cloud technology with enhanced security features to provide a secure environment for small businesses to process, store and communicate sensitive data. The announcement was made during the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army on Oct. 15, 2024.
• Multi-Domain Transformation in the Indo-Pacific Army News 16 Oct 2024 -- The topic of the Warriors Corner, "Multi-Domain Transformation in the Indo-Pacific," in support of the AUSA 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Lopez)
• Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 25-01 Training Rotation Exercise Completion Army News 16 Oct 2024 -- An increase in movement of military vehicles and helicopters are expected to occur as Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division return to Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield from various training sites on Oahu as part of Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) rotation 25-01 over the next few days.
• USAREUR-AF leads forum on NATO convergence at AUSA Army News 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. Army Europe and Africa Commanding Gen. Darryl Williams hosted Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors, chief of Swedish Army and Ms. Dara Massicot, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Russia and Eurasia Program, at a contemporary military forum at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army in Washington yesterday, Oct. 15, 2024. The topic of the CMF was "NATO Convergence in Contact: Transforming Land Power."
• AFSOC activates 11th Air Task Force US Air Force 16 Oct 2024 -- Air Force Special Operations Command held an assumption of command ceremony for the 11th Air Task Force at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Oct. 8. The ceremony, presided over by Maj. Gen. Justin Hoffman, AFSOC deputy commander, marked the official activation.
• US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa completes Ramstein Flag 2024 US Air Force 16 Oct 2024 -- Airmen and aircraft assigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa participated in NATO Allied Air Command's Ramstein Flag 2024 exercise from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11 at Andravida Air Base.
• Fifth U.S. Navy DDG Homeport Shifts to Rota, Spain US Navy 16 Oct 2024 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) arrived to its new homeport of Naval Station Rota, Oct. 15, as the first of two additional DDGs to join the Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E) force.
• U.S., UAE Forces Begin Exercise Iron Defender in Arabian Gulf US Navy 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard forces joined the United Arab Emirates naval defense force for exercise Iron Defender 24, Oct. 14-24. This maritime exercise will take place in the UAE and its territorial and coastal waters.
• Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Returns to San Diego After 9-month Deployment US Navy 16 Oct 2024 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), the flagship of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) returned to its homeport of San Diego Oct. 15 after conducting operations in the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation as part of a routine deployment in support of global maritime security operations.
• USS Russell Returns Home to San Diego US Navy 16 Oct 2024 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) returned to Naval Base San Diego Oct. 15, following an eight-month deployment with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation.
• Readout of Navy Leadership's Meeting with the Governor of Guam (Oct. 16, 2024) US Navy Press Release 16 Oct 2024 -- Acting Under Secretary of the Navy Tom Mancinelli and Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (DUSD(A&S)) Deborah Rosenblum met with Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Joshua T. Tenorio, Oct. 16, at the Governor's Complex in Hagåtña, Guam.
• Search Continues for VAQ-130 Aviators US Navy Press Release 16 Oct 2024 -- The U.S. Navy, in coordination with Yakima County tribal and local authorities, continue to search for the EA-18G Growler aircraft that crashed yesterday afternoon.
• Update: Search Continues for VAQ-130 Aviators US Navy Press Release 16 Oct 2024 -- Just after 12:30 p.m. PDT, aerial search crews located the wreckage of the EA-18G Growler that crashed on Oct. 15. The crash site rests on a mountainside east of Mount Rainier.
• Military leaders advance Arctic security, cooperation in semi-annual forum EUCOM 16 Oct 2024 -- The senior military officials discussed a wide range of issues impacting security in the Arctic with particular emphasis on the collective ways to amplify and accelerate NATO's efforts in the High North.
• PNT Delta redesignated as Mission Delta 31 United States Space Force 16 Oct 2024 -- Position, Navigation and Timing Provisional Delta officially redesignated as Mission Delta 31 in a ceremony at Peterson Space Force Base Oct. 15, presided by U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. David N. Miller Jr., commander of Space Operations Command.
• Army Announces Effort to Help Small Business Meet Cybersecurity Requirements DoD News 16 Oct 2024 -- The Defense Department is actively working on plans to build cybersecurity requirements for the defense industrial base into defense contracts as part of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, or CMMC. The first contracts with those requirements built in are expected sometime in 2025.
• Trump suggests $10 billion price tag for US troops in South Korea Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reignited debate over defense cost-sharing with South Korea, saying that if he were in the White House, Seoul would be paying US$10 billion a year to station U.S. Forces Korea, or USFK, in the country.
• NATO Defence Ministers to advance work on deterrence and defence, support to Ukraine and global partnerships NATO 16 Oct 2024 -- As NATO Defence Ministers prepare to meet at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (17-18 October 2024), Secretary General Mark Rutte previewed the expected outcomes of the meeting in a press conference at NATO Headquarters.
• Secretary General welcomes Sweden's plans to boost defence spending NATO 16 Oct 2024 -- On Wednesday (October 16), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson met at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to discuss the strengthening of NATO's deterrence and defence and NATO's increased support to Ukraine.
• Secretary General praises Latvia for its contributions to NATO NATO 16 Oct 2024 -- On Wednesday (16 October 2024), at his official residence in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, to discuss further strengthening NATO's defences and NATO's continued support to Ukraine.
• NATO's Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood visits Morocco NATO 16 Oct 2024 -- NATO's Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood, Javier Colomina, travelled to the Kingdom of Morocco on 15 October 2024 for his second visit to the region in this new capacity.
• Fostering security-related scientific cooperation with Romania through NATO's SPS Programme NATO 16 Oct 2024 -- On Wednesday (16 October 2024), members of NATO's Science for Peace and Security (SPS) team were in Bucharest to announce an upcoming call for proposals on security-related scientific cooperation.
• Russia forming North Korean battalion amid soldier shortage: report Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- Russia is forming a special battalion consisting of up to 3,000 North Koreans to help push Ukraine's forces out of Kursk amid a manpower shortage on the front lines due to heavy casualties, Ukraine's media reported.
• Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov inspects military and social infrastructure of Pacific Fleet on Kamchatka Russia MoD 16 Oct 2024 -- Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov inspected military and social infrastructure facilities of the Pacific Fleet as part of a working visit to Kamchatka region.
• Russian and Chinese warships conduct maritime rescue drills in East China Sea Russia MoD 16 Oct 2024 -- Russian and Chinese warships conduct maritime rescue drills in the East China Sea The joint Russian-Chinese ship detachment continue to patrol in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine - October 15, 2024 DOD
• Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine DoD 16 Oct 2024 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration's sixty-seventh tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
• Biden Announces $425 Million In Security Aid For Ukraine RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden announced a $425 million security assistance package for Ukraine as he updated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on his efforts to "surge" security assistance to Ukraine over the remainder of his term in office, the White House said on October 16.
• Biden announces new $425 million security package for Ukraine VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden talked by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Wednesday about defense aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
• The United States Announces Significant New Military Assistance for Ukraine US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2024 -- The United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia's ongoing attacks.
• Memorandum on Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 The White House 16 Oct 2024
• Xi urges developing system of modern military theory People's Daily 16 Oct 2024 -- President Xi Jinping has urged efforts to comprehensively strengthen work related to military theory on the new journey in the new era, and develop a system of modern military theory with Chinese characteristics.
• Advancing our shared security through the Falepili Union Australia DOD 16 Oct 2024 -- Today the Albanese Government was pleased to handover a new Guardian-class Patrol Boat, the HMTSS Te Mataili III, to Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Hon Feleti Teo OBE.
• New Defence Precinct at Henderson to deliver continuous naval shipbuilding and nuclear-powered submarine maintenance Australia DOD 16 Oct 2024 -- The Albanese Government will establish a consolidated Commonwealth-owned Defence Precinct at Western Australia's Henderson shipyard to underpin tens of billions of dollars of investment in defence capabilities in the West over the next two decades and support in the order of 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled local jobs.
• New Defence Precinct at Henderson to deliver continuous naval shipbuilding and nuclear-powered submarine maintenance Prime Minister of Australia 16 Oct 2024
• From: HMCS Ottawa departs for the Indo-Pacific region on Operations HORIZON and NEON Canada 16 Oct 2024 -- Today, the crew of His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawabid farewell to their families and loved ones at a departure ceremony held at His Majesty's Canadian Dockyard Esquimalt, British Columbia.
• Minister of National Defence L. Kasčiūnas to attend NATO Defence Ministerial in Brussels Lithuania MND 16 Oct 2024 -- Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas departs for Brussels where he will attend the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting on October 17-18.
• The Netherlands - Radio Equipment DSCA 16 Oct 2024 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands of Radio Equipment and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.42 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• A look at the Defence news 7 - 13 October Netherlands Ministry of Defence 16 Oct 2024
• Joint Statement on the Republic of Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Vice Foreign Ministerial Meeting US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2024 -- "The 1st Vice Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Kim Hong Kyun, the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America Kurt M. Campbell, and the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Okano Masataka met in Seoul on October 16, 2024."
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2024
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre The White House 16 Oct 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 16, 2024
• Raytheon Company to Pay Over $950M in Connection with Defective Pricing, Foreign Bribery, and Export Control Schemes US Dept. of Justice 16 Oct 2024 -- Raytheon Company (Raytheon) — a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor RTX (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation) — will pay over $950 million to resolve the Justice Department's investigations into: (i) a major government fraud scheme involving defective pricing on certain government contracts and (ii) violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and its implementing regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 16 October 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Oct 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Oct. 15: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 16 Oct 2024
• Oct. 14: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 16 Oct 2024
• Israel's 'Generals' Plan' doomed to failure: Hamas Press TV 16 Oct 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the Israeli regime's so-called "Generals' Plan" for the northern part of the Gaza Strip, through which it seeks to starve the targeted area to advance its war goals, is "doomed to failure."
• Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in southern Lebanese town, including mayor VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes Wednesday killed 16 people in the southern town of Nabatieh, including its mayor, and wounded more than 50.
• Lebanon's Armenians Face Painful Choice: Stay And Risk Death Or Flee Their Country RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The windows in Zakar Keshishian's house rattle violently as Israeli air strikes pound Lebanon's capital, Beirut.
• 7 Israeli forces killed in clashes with Hezbollah: Reports Press TV 16 Oct 2024 -- At least seven Israeli forces have reportedly been killed during clashes with Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement on the country's southern border with the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Ending Atrocities in Gaza Cannot Happen through Words, but 'through Urgent, Unequivocal Action,' Senior Humanitarian Official Tells Security Council UN Security Council 16 Oct 2024 -- Urgent action is needed to address the abject conditions and intolerable suffering in Gaza, a senior humanitarian UN official told the Security Council today, as delegates expressed horror at the recent strike on a hospital that killed displaced persons sheltering there, amidst Israel's intensifying operations in northern Gaza.
• 'Yet another' Israeli strike on peacekeepers' position in southern Lebanon UN News 16 Oct 2024 -- In another serious security incident in southern Lebanon, a UN peacekeeping position has been "apparently deliberately" struck by incoming fire from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
• Security Council meets on north Gaza as 'supplies for survival' run out UN News 16 Oct 2024 -- Reality is brutal in Gaza and gets worse every day, while essential humanitarian supplies and assistance are being blocked at every turn, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Lebanon war: Essential services in south facing collapse, warns UN UN News 16 Oct 2024 -- Deadly Israeli airstrikes hit targets across Lebanon on Wednesday, prompting renewed condemnation from top UN negotiators and humanitarians, who warned that essential services in the south of the country are close to collapse.
• Statement by the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza: a call to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure amid escalating strikes, 16 October 2024 UNOCHA 16 Oct 2024 -- Over the past days, we have witnessed increasingly severe impact on civilian infrastructure and civilians across Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes.
• UNRWA Situation Report #143 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 11-13 October 2024, is valid as of 13 October 2024 at 22:30 (local time) UNRWA 16 Oct 2024
• Increasing bombardment damaging essential services and putting children in Lebanon at great risk UNICEF 16 Oct 2024 -- Children in Lebanon are at growing risk of health and protection issues - including waterborne diseases like cholera, hepatitis and diarrhoea - as the continued bombardment of the country increasingly disrupts and damages essential services that families rely on.
• WFP calls for international support as the crisis deepens in Syria amid influx of families fleeing war in Lebanon WFP 16 Oct 2024 -- The United Nations World Food Programme Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau appealed today for international support to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Syria which is facing an influx of people fleeing the war in Lebanon. An estimated 260,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon so far
• Attacks on hospitals and health workers jeopardize provision of health in Lebanon WHO 16 Oct 2024
• UNRWA says reaching 'breaking point' in Gaza amid risk of famine Press TV 16 Oct 2024 -- The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says it is "very near to a possible breaking point" in the Gaza Strip, where aid is desperately needed against the threat of disease and famine.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant DoD 16 Oct 2024
• U.S. Targets Sanctions Evasion Network That Funnels Money To Hezbollah RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The United States imposed sanctions on October 16 on individuals and companies that it said are part of a sanctions evasion network that funnels millions of dollars to Hezbollah in part through sales of illegal amphetamines.
• Targeting Networks that Generate Revenue for Hizballah and the Syrian Regime US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2024 -- The United States is today sanctioning three individuals and four companies for their role in a sanctions evasion network that generates revenue for Hizballah that fuels the terrorist group's operations. Hizballah continues to launch rockets into Israel, further destabilizing both Lebanon and the region.
• Treasury Targets Hizballah Finance Network and Syrian Captagon Trafficking US Treasury 16 Oct 2024 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating three individuals and four associated companies involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network that generates millions of dollars in revenue for Hizballah. Hizballah's finance team is responsible for the establishment and operation of Hizballah commercial projects throughout Lebanon, some of which are financed and facilitated by Iran. OFAC is also designating three individuals involved in the illegal production and trafficking of Captagon that has benefitted Bashar al-Assad's regime and its allies, including Hizballah. The illegal trade in Captagon, a dangerous, highly addictive amphetamine, has become a billion-dollar illicit enterprise operated by senior members of the Syrian regime.
• Statement by ministers Joly and Hussen on recent events in Middle East Canada 16 Oct 2024 -- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development today issued the following statement following recent events in the Middle East:
• Iraqi fighters attack 'vital' Israeli target in drone operation Press TV 16 Oct 2024 -- Iraq's anti-terror resistance groups have carried out a drone strike on a vital target in the Israeli occupied territories in response to the regime's atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese nation.
• Lebanese refugee crisis raises political tensions in Iraq and demographic concerns in Kirkuk VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah are driving tens of thousands of Lebanese into Iraq — with more expected as the security situation deteriorates. The sudden influx is generating political concerns, especially in Iraq's volatile Kirkuk region.

Other Conflicts

• China and Malaysia Hold the 1st Bilateral Dialogue on the Management of Maritime Issues in the South China Sea PRC MofA 16 Oct 2024 -- On October 16, 2024, the 1st Bilateral Dialogue between China and Malaysia on the Management of Maritime Issues in the South China Sea was held in Langkawi, Malaysia.
• Iran's border security forces allegedly massacre 'dozens' of Afghan migrants VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Taliban authorities are looking into allegations that dozens of Afghan civilians were killed and injured by Iranian border forces while trying to enter that country from Pakistan illegally.
• Tashkent Denies Taliban Demanded Music Ban At Border Trade Center RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The Uzbek Foreign Ministry has rejected Afghan media reports saying that the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan requested the cancellation of concerts or other musical events at a trade center located on the shared border.
• Myanmar's internet now as restrictive as China's: report Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- Internet freedoms in Myanmar are now as bad as in China, according to a new report released by Freedom House on Wednesday.
• Myanmar junta extends census as fighting, floods slow election preparations Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- Myanmar's military regime has been forced to extend its two-week census, an official told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday, after fighting and threats of retaliation against junta administrators, along with flooding in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, made it impossible to gather information in many parts of the country.
• Readout of Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's Trip to Haiti The White House 16 Oct 2024

News Reports

• Two US radio stations end Russian-backed 'propaganda' programming VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Russian-backed radio programmer Sputnik no longer broadcasts in the Washington market after years of criticism that its local radio station, WZHF, carries antisemitic content and false information about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• FBI, French authorities coordinate on Islamic State arrests VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Recent arrests in the United States and in Europe have law enforcement and intelligence agencies on alert, bolstering concerns about a reinvigorated Islamic State terror group bent on lashing out against the West.
• Meeting with Government members President of Russia 16 Oct 2024 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, with Government members.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, October 16, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Oct 2024
• Statement by Vladimir Ermakov, Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation, Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at the General Debate in the First Committee of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, New York, 15 October 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Oct 2024
• Russia Slashes Quotas For Residence Permits, Despite Labor Shortage RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The Russian government has approved a measure that cuts the quota for residence permits for foreigners in 2025 by almost half even as the number of workers entering the country has fallen to a 10-year low, exacerbating an acute labor shortage.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on October 16, 2024 PRC MofA 16 Oct 2024
• Remarks by H.E. Li Qiang Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China at the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization PRC MofA 16 Oct 2024
• At media summit, China blasts Western coverage of Uyghurs Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- China hosted a global media summit in Xinjiang this week, bringing together over 500 participants to discuss artificial intelligence, but also used the event to criticize Western reports about the forced labor of Uyghurs and an ongoing genocide were "fabricated lies."
• China to seize 3.1 bln yuan in assets linked to exiled former vice mayor Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- Authorities in China are moving to seize more than 3 billion yuan (US$435 million) in assets belonging to a former high-ranking official from the northeastern province of Heilongjiang who has fled to the United States, claiming to be a persecuted critic of the government.
• China carries out two successful orbital launches within 12 hours Global Times 16 Oct 2024 -- Within just 12 hours, China successfully launched 18 communication satellites and a remote sensing satellite into their designated orbits, in two separate missions on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Chinese space watchers view this achievement as a testament to the country's growing expertise in space technology and increasingly strong capabilities of space applications.
• Latest PLA drill short, small in scale: Taiwan intelligence chief CNA 16 Oct 2024 -- Taiwan's intelligence chief said Wednesday that the latest Chinese military drills around Taiwan were shorter and smaller in scale than similar drills in May but still backfired based on the reaction of the international community.
• MAC dismisses China's criticism of Lai's National Day address CNA 16 Oct 2024 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top agency handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, has rejected China's criticism of President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) National Day address and condemned it for trying to "turn Taiwan into another Hong Kong."
• Chinese Coast Guard takes on new role in encircling Taiwan: Scholars CNA 16 Oct 2024 -- The China Coast Guard (CCG) took on a novel and important role during the "Joint Sword-2024B" military drills, being deployed for the first time on Monday to encircle Taiwan and practice enforcing a blockade in the event of an invasion, scholars told CNA.
• Taiwan leader Lai's separatist remarks escalate cross-Strait tensions: mainland spokesperson People's Daily 16 Oct 2024 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday said Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's separatist remarks, especially his Oct. 10 speech, have escalated cross-Strait tensions and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
• China sanctions Taiwanese activist, retired chip magnate Robert Tsao Radio Free Asia 16 Oct 2024 -- China has sanctioned a lawmaker and rights activist, a civil defense group and a retired chip magnate from democratic Taiwan, adding their names to a list of 'pro-independence diehards' who are banned from traveling to the country.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC MND 16 Oct 2024
• Joint Statement on Establishing Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team for Implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions Regarding the DPRK US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2024
• Many Youth and Students in DPRK Volunteer to Join or Rejoin KPA KCNA 16 Oct 2024 -- The whole DPRK is full of the will to annihilate the scum of the ROK who violated its inviolable sovereignty and security.
• Iran 'ready' to give decisive response to any Israeli adventurism: FM tells UN chief Press TV 16 Oct 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned of the Islamic Republic's decisive response to any acts of adventurism by the Israeli regime, amid heightened escalation following Tel Aviv's recent assassination of the resistance front's leaders and top commanders.
• Iran's border security forces allegedly massacre 'dozens' of Afghan migrants VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Taliban authorities are looking into allegations that dozens of Afghan civilians were killed and injured by Iranian border forces while trying to enter that country from Pakistan illegally.
• Tashkent Denies Taliban Demanded Music Ban At Border Trade Center RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024 -- The Uzbek Foreign Ministry has rejected Afghan media reports saying that the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan requested the cancellation of concerts or other musical events at a trade center located on the shared border.
• UN chief proposes $3.6 billion budget for 2025, highlighting peace, development and reforms UN News 16 Oct 2024 -- The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday presented a $3.6 billion budget proposal for programmes in 2025, highlighting the Organization's commitment to peace, sustainable development, and human rights initiatives, while advancing key reforms.
• Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (CPV & OIA) on President's Visit to Algeria (October 15, 2024) India MEA 16 Oct 2024
• Pakistan Grapples With Security Threats During SCO Meeting RFE/RL 16 Oct 2024
• Pakistan pushes for expansion of China's BRI plans VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated expanding China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Wednesday, saying it would enhance regional trade cooperation and promote "the vision of a connected Eurasia."
• Opening statement by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during questions put to the Federal Government in the German Bundestag Germany Federal Foreign Office 16 Oct 2024
• World News in Brief: Sudan's refugee crisis, UNRWA Gaza update, violence rising in South Sudan, call to halt latest US executions UN News 16 Oct 2024 -- The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the continued displacement crisis in Sudan, with the ongoing conflict driving thousands more refugees into neighbouring countries.
• Mozambique's ruling party candidate poised for presidential victory VOA 16 Oct 2024 -- Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate of Mozambique's ruling party, is comfortably leading the vote count in nine of the country's provinces and appears set to become the country's next president. His closest challenger was running a distant second Wednesday as vote counting from last week's election continued.