There have been at least 160 attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East since mid-October, following this weekend's attack on a base in Jordan near the Syrian border that left three American soldiers dead and dozens of others injured, U.S. officials said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed Sunday's attack and vowed the U.S. would "take all necessary actions" to keep U.S. troops in the region safe. "Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the deaths of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded," Austin said. He added, "The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces. And we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops."

Later today Nasa hopes to launch a spacecraft on its journey towards an asteroid, where it will collect and return samples that experts believe may hold the building blocks of life. Nasa's OSRIS-REx spacecraft will travel for two years to reach Bennu, and plans to return to Earth in 2023. Fitted with sensors, the craft will map out the surface of the asteroid in order to address basic questions about the composition of the very early solar system. Final preparations: Forecasters said good weather was expected for the 7:05 PM EDT launch. But Nasa has until mid-October to send the SUV-size spacecraft on its way.