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Biden: US Boosting Force Posture in Europe for Russia Threat

NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg (L), and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez (R), greet US President, Joe Biden, before they pose for a family photo during the first day of the NATO Summit at IFEMA Convention Center, in Madrid, Spain, 29 June 2022. (EPA)
NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg (L), and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez (R), greet US President, Joe Biden, before they pose for a family photo during the first day of the NATO Summit at IFEMA Convention Center, in Madrid, Spain, 29 June 2022. (EPA)
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Biden: US Boosting Force Posture in Europe for Russia Threat

NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg (L), and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez (R), greet US President, Joe Biden, before they pose for a family photo during the first day of the NATO Summit at IFEMA Convention Center, in Madrid, Spain, 29 June 2022. (EPA)
NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg (L), and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez (R), greet US President, Joe Biden, before they pose for a family photo during the first day of the NATO Summit at IFEMA Convention Center, in Madrid, Spain, 29 June 2022. (EPA)

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the US is enhancing its military presence in Europe for the long haul to bolster regional security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid at the opening of the alliance’s annual leaders summit, Biden said "NATO is strong and united" and that steps to be taken during the gathering will "further augment our collective strength."

Biden opened his participation in the summit by announcing that the US is establishing a permanent headquarters in Poland, sending two additional F-35 fighter jet squadrons to the UK and will send more air defense and other capabilities to Germany and Italy.

"Today I’m announcing the United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security," he said.

Stoltenberg, who earlier Wednesday said the alliance was facing its biggest challenge since World War II, welcomed Biden's announcement.

"This really demonstrates your decisive leadership and strength in the trans-Atlantic bond," Stoltenberg said, thanking Biden for the "unwavering support from you and from the United States to Ukraine."

Biden said the US will permanently station the US Army V Corps forward command in Poland, a move that he said would strengthen US-NATO interoperability across the alliance's eastern flank. The move marks the first permanent basing of US forces on NATO’s eastern edge. Biden added that the US is also stepping up its rotational deployments of troops to the Baltic region.

Biden announced after arriving for the summit on Tuesday that the US would base two additional destroyers at its naval base in Rota, Spain, bringing the total number to six.

The US currently has more than 100,000 servicemembers deployed across Europe, up by about 20,000 since just before Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine began four months ago.

Biden predicted that meetings this week would make for a "history-making summit" as leaders were set to approve a new strategic framework, announce a range of steps to boost their defense spending and capabilities, and clear the way for historically neutral Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Biden said Putin thought NATO members would splinter after he invaded Ukraine, but got the opposite response instead.

"Putin was looking for the Finland-ization of Europe," Biden said. "You’re gonna get the NATO-ization of Europe. And that’s exactly what he didn’t want, but exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe."

Turkey, the last remaining holdout to approve the Nordic countries’ accession into NATO, reached an agreement on the eve of the summit late Tuesday to support adding them to the 30-nation alliance.

While the White House said the US was not a direct party to the negotiations, a senior administration official said Biden spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday to encourage him to clear the way for Sweden and Finland to join. The two leaders are set to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss other issues, the White House said.

Biden will also sit down Wednesday with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who are attending the NATO summit as the alliance looks to strengthen its ties in the Indo-Pacific region and address challenges from China.

The White House said the three leaders would also discuss North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

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World

Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Algeria will send army units to Niger to protect energy and economic interests, according to a statement from the presidency on Monday, marking Algeria's first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt in the 1973 war.

Algeria's parliament approved a resolution on Sunday authorizing ‌the deployment ‌of National Army units ‌to ⁠Madama in northern Niger, near ⁠the Libyan border.

The presidential statement did not say when the troops will be sent or how many there would be.

Military officers have ruled Niger, a nation rich ⁠in uranium, oil and gold resources, ‌since the ‌July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, ‌which Algeria opposed.

Relations worsened last ‌year, when Niger recalled its ambassador from Algiers after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near their border.

Algeria's interests in Niger ‌are mainly in energy. Its state-run Sonatrach is working with ⁠Niger ⁠and Nigeria on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which is intended to create a new export corridor for African gas to international markets, particularly Europe.

Niger is battling insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced millions across West Africa's central Sahel region over the past decade.

World

France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
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France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP

The French government sought to draw a line Monday under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence, with President Emmanuel Macron headed to Marseille and the prime minister to meet with students demanding better school conditions.

France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.

The demonstrations have come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of a presidential election to replace centrist Macron.

The frontrunner -- far-right leader Marine le Pen -- held an election rally in Orleans Sunday, a day after yet more demonstrations also saw some violent clashes on the sidelines.

She vowed to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted her support, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism over the unrest.

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17, and had stepped up security for Saturday's protests.

While Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's rallies was more "positive" than a week ago, street violence still erupted in the French capital and a number of other cities including Marseille.

The Elysee said Macron would visit the city hall in Marseille, France's second-largest city, on Monday, after it was damaged in the protest violence on October 17.

He was also due to meet shopkeepers who had fallen victim to looting and vandalism, the Elysee said.

"He will also pay tribute to and thank the internal security forces that helped restore republican order," the presidency said.

After this weekend's protests, many shopfronts in the city center were still boarded up early Monday, just hours before Macron's arrival.

Macron's visit was intended to demonstrate that "the state is present, standing firm and fulfilling its mission to protect," an aide said.

- 'High level of violence' -

A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the most recent weekend protests, Nunez said on Monday.

"The day was brought under control and there were no serious incidents," he told broadcaster BFMTV.

"Nevertheless, we saw a very high level of violence directed at the internal security forces," Nunez added.

He said that 267 police officers and gendarmes were injured, along with 150 protesters, including three who were seriously hurt in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.

The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better learning conditions.

Several teenage protesters have been seriously injured and thousands arrested.

The police response to their demonstrations, which included blockades of schools, has been criticized as heavy-handed and sparked a broader movement against the cost of living and police violence.

In Paris on Monday, Lecornu was to meet student leaders, with National Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste joining him for the talks. Following that meeting, Geffray and Baptiste will hold a news conference.

Macron already met representatives of secondary school pupils last Friday, but they emerged from the talks urging students to keep protesting until the government put forward concrete proposals to address their demands.

On top of the protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl, outside Paris.

Macron has branded the shooting a "racist terrorist attack", as most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.

World

Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
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Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP

Experts have warned Bangladesh that deadly outbreaks of diphtheria, whooping cough and polio could follow an ongoing measles epidemic that has already killed over 1,200 children, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday.

"The measles outbreak is a litmus test and a warning sign of a deteriorating immunization system," said the report by an independent committee of national and international experts, which carried out its research earlier in October.

Bangladesh has struggled since March to contain the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,200 children and infected 220,000 people, making it the country's deadliest in decades, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"If no urgent mitigation measures are taken, it is only a matter of time before there are large outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria and even vaccine-derived poliovirus," added the report, which has been submitted to the government.

The health ministry pledged action on Monday.

"We are going to recruit vaccinators as quickly as possible as the first step towards implementing the recommendations," spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP.

The government, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gavi vaccine alliance and other partners, deployed a 70-member team earlier this month to assess the country's immunization program.

The review found that just 82 percent of children were fully immunized, well below the national target of 95 percent. Around 40 percent of vaccinator posts remain vacant.

Bangladesh was long considered an immunization success story. Since its program began in 1979, the country has eliminated polio and neonatal tetanus and controlled rubella and hepatitis B.

A measles vaccination campaign planned for 2024 was delayed by the revolution that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while strikes and political instability further disrupted a campaign in 2025.

Authorities have since launched a mass vaccination drive, but cases continue to climb.

Measles spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and has no specific treatment. Complications include brain swelling and severe breathing problems, with young children particularly vulnerable.

Whooping cough can cause severe illness and death in infants. Diphtheria can obstruct breathing and damage the heart and nerves, while vaccine-derived poliovirus can cause paralysis in under-immunized populations.