Afghanistan is set to hold a presidential election (NYT) tomorrow amid widespread security concerns, as the Taliban has pledged to disrupt the vote. 

The two election front-runners (RFE/RL) are President Ashraf Ghani, who has vowed to work toward peace with the Taliban despite a stall in U.S. talks, and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who joined a power-sharing deal with Ghani after the disputed 2014 presidential election. Former President Hamid Karzai warned (AP) that holding the vote now could threaten the country’s best chance at peace, and more than a dozen presidential candidates called the election commission incapable of ensuring a fair election. At least four hundred polling centers will be closed (TOLO) due to the security concerns.

White House officials sought to conceal the record (NYT) of a July call between President Donald J. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a whistleblower complaint from an intelligence officer that was published Thursday. The complaint, now the basis for an impeachment inquiry, said it was not the first time a call transcript was stored on a more secure server due to political, rather than national security, implications.

Nearly half of participants at a town hall with Chief Executive Carrie Lam asked her to allow an independent inquiry (SCMP) into police actions against pro-democracy protesters. She refused but said protesters will no longer be taken to a detention center near the border with mainland China, where there have been reports of abuse. More protests are planned for this weekend.

Australia: Lawmakers in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, decriminalized abortion (NYT). It is one of the last parts of the country to do so.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the three countries will launch an English-language television channel (VOA) aimed at dispelling Islamophobia.

The United States is deploying about two hundred troops, one Patriot missile battery, and four ground-based radar systems to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said. Officials said the deployment will help Riyadh protect itself against Iranian attacks (AP).

Egypt: Fresh protests against President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi have been called for today despite the arrest of nearly two thousand people (Al Jazeera) since last weekend’s demonstrations, rights groups said.

See how much you know about Egypt by taking this CFR quiz.

A magazine editor was sentenced to three years in prison (Bloomberg) in a defamation case, the harshest penalty for a journalist in the country since the end of one-party rule in 1990.

Sudan: Survivors of war crimes in Sudan have filed a criminal complaint (VOA) against BNP Paribas in which they allege the French bank financially enabled crimes against humanity in the country starting around 2003.

Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conservative Austrian People’s Party was leading in polls (Guardian) ahead of parliamentary elections this Sunday. The country has been led by a caretaker government since May, when Kurz was ousted in a no-confidence vote following a political scandal involving his vice chancellor.

Greece: The rate of refugee arrivals on the island of Lesbos has reached its highest point (AP) since a European Union crackdown on migration in 2016, according to the United Nations.

This CFR InfoGuide looks at the shrinking options for the world’s refugees.

The United States has barred Cuban leader Raul Castro and his family from entering the country (State Dept.), citing human rights violations in Cuba and support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at U.S.-Cuba relations.

Argentina: The International Monetary Fund said it remains “fully committed” (Reuters) to helping Argentina restore stability after incoming IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva met with Argentine Treasury Minister Hernan Lacunza this week. Argentina has a $57 billion loan with the fund.

CFR lays out what to know about Argentina’s looming debt crisis.