The National Security Agency is quietly beginning work on a new series of three communications contracts valued at $6.7 billion. Details are sparse because the classified contracts—collectively called Greenway—were secretly awarded to telecommunications giant AT&T and defense contractors General Dynamics and ManTech International in 2016. Redacted legal documents following a protest of one of the contracts in March indicate the NSA’s goal is to “technically evolve” its IT environment.

Dozens are feared dead after a train ran over a crowd of people near railway tracks in Amritsar, near the Pakistani border. Many more have been injured. Police say that they are expecting over 50 casualties, and Indian newspaper First Post is reporting 30 deaths, after a train plowed at high speed through a crowded religious rally, which appears to have been held alongside a railway track.

Moscow has delivered advanced S-300 air defense missiles to Syria to protect the country’s troops deployed in the war-torn Arab country in the wake of last month’s downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane during an Israeli airstrike in Latakia. The three battalion sets of S-300PM-2 air defense missile handed over to Syria by Russia are more advanced compared to their conventional counterparts, the newspaper Izvestiya wrote, citing Defense Ministry sources in Moscow.

While the fact remains that the United States has long had and maintained such allies—staunchly defending them from international rebuke and shielding them from prosecution—Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says the alleged murder and brutal dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by his own Saudi government and ongoing war crimes in Yemen should be the final straws in allowing the powerful Gulf monarchy to claim the U.S. as a friend and partner.

Steve Penny, the former president of USA Gymnastics who has been accused of covering up sexual abuse by sports doctor Larry Nassar, was arrested Wednesday over allegations that he tampered with evidence related to a Nassar investigation. If convicted, Penny could receive two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Despite the slightly unorthodox fact that he is dead, infamous brothel owner Dennis Hof will remain on the ballot (since officials in the Silver State say it’s too late to change the printed ballots since they’ve already been mailed out for early voting) and is expected to win by a landslide in the forthcoming Nevada state legislature elections.

Amnesty International today warned of a new “zero tolerance” policy by Israeli forces towards Palestinian demonstrators in the occupied Gaza Strip, raising “fears of escalating bloodshed”. In a statement, the human rights organisation urged the Israeli government “to rein in its armed forces, which have routinely used unnecessary or excessive force during Gaza’s weekly ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations”.

On October 15, Sweden began a temporary amnesty program for anyone in possession of hand grenades or other explosives, urging the public to hand over their illegal arsenals before January 11, 2019, with no legal ramifications or questions asked. Sweden has had a hand grenade crisis and issues with organized crime since about 2010. Combine the two with refugees, and the country is on the verge of chaos with violent crime exploding.

According to a new study that observed sea, rock and lake salts, 90 percent of the table saltbrands sold around the world contain microplastics. Several years ago, researchers discovered that microplastics were in sea salt, but no one was certain just how extensive the problem was until now.

Mexico deployed hundreds of riot police on Thursday to intercept a caravan of more than 4,000 Central American migrants, following demands by President Trump that Mexio, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador intervene before he has to deploy US troops.

A year after researchers at a New York university discovered microplastics present in sea salt thanks to widespread plastic pollution, researchers in South Korea set out to find out how pervasive the problem is—and found that 90 percent of salt brands commonly used in homes around the world contain the tiny pieces of plastic.

Like many federal agencies, the Defense Department struggles to attract, recruit and retain young, technically talented employees. Data from the Office of Personnel Management indicates the Defense Department has approximately 6.6 IT professionals over the age of 60 for every one under the age of 30.

A Treasury employee has been arrested and charged with leaking multiple reports about financial transactions relating to former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, campaign official Richard Gates, accused Russian agent Maria Butina and the Russian Embassy, federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

A note from Karen Attiah, Global Opinions editor I received this column from Jamal Khashoggi’s translator and assistant the day after Jamal was reported missing in Istanbul. The Post held off publishing it because we hoped Jamal would come back to us so that he and I could edit it together. Now I have to accept: That is not going to happen. This is the last piece of his I will edit for The Post.

Multiple protesters heckled former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Tuesday while he delivered a speech at New York University's Stern School of Business.NYU invited Kissinger, who was celebrating the 45th anniversary of receiving his Nobel Peace Prize Award, as part of a series entitled "In Conversation with Lord Mervyn King." Roughly 100 people gathered to protest Kissinger, according to NYU News. Some held signs calling him a "war criminal" while others shouted “rot in hell” and “hey, Kissinger, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?”

A disabled American veteran has become one of the victims of Facebook’s political purge ahead of the mid-term elections. The online social-media platform announced October 11 that it had suspended more than 800 pages and accounts for what it claimed was “coordinated inauthentic behavior” and spamming, with many of the accounts hosting politically conservative content supportive of President Trump.

Evangelical leader Pat Robertson told his followers that just because a journalist was tortured and murdered in a Saudi consulate doesn't mean the US should stop treating the country's leaders like beloved royalty. "We’ve got an arms deal that everybody wanted a piece of," he told his adoring television audience. Any action against the Saudi royal family would mean losing "$100 billion worth of arms sales."

A recent Reuters article reveals that ST Engineering has been awarded $5.5 million to install facial recognition street lights in Singapore. ST's smart street lights come equipped with sensors, LED screens and covert cameras already installed. Incredibly, ST claims their spying street lights can bring "healthcare benefits to residents."

Ricky Hayes is described as having “developmental disabilities” with “the cognitive level of a child” and “difficulty communicating.” So, when a Chicago cop, Sergeant Khalil Muhammad shot this innocent teen last year, the community was shocked. Now, video of the incident has just been released showing just how shocking this shooting actually was.

Two US citizens were wounded and a local police chief killed when Afghan guards opened fire at Austin S. Miller, the NATO and US forces commander in Afghanistan, after his meeting with Kandahar officials in the city. The attack took place on Thursday afternoon after Miller’s meeting with Kandahar’s governor and the provincial police chief, General Abdul Raziq.