Russian air strikes kill at least 30 in stepped up raids in northwest Syria:
Air strikes believed to have been carried out by Russian jets killed at least 30 people in the town of Ariha in northwestern Syria on Sunday, rescue workers in the rebel-held area said, part of an escalation of Russian strikes near the Turkish border.
Fighting between US-backed rebels and Islamic militants in northern Syria kills at least 20:
The fighting between the so-called Democratic Forces of Syria, which is led by Kurds, and Islamic militants has flared in recent days in the northern province of Aleppo. Most of the fighting has taken place in the border area
Negotiations seek Syria rebel exit from Homs city: governor:
Negotiations are underway between the Syrian government and rebels for the evacuation of opposition forces from the last area they hold in Homs city, the provincial governor told AFP Monday.
Russia says top Russian and U.S. military officials discuss fight against IS:
The head of the Russian army's general staff and the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff on Monday discussed by phone questions relating to the fight against Islamic State in Syria, Interfax news agency reported, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
US Special Forces Fight IS Group for Months, Kurdish Forces Say:
The United States special forces currently stationed in Iraq are engaged in fighting against the Islamic State group, several Kurdish Iraqi fighters have told the British newspaper The Guardian, contradicting President Barack Obama's assertion that no U.S. personnel were in direct combat with the extremist group.
UAE says ready to commit troops to fight IS in Syria: ,
Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the UAE would "participate in any international effort demanding a ground intervention to fight terrorism". "Regional countries must bear part of the burden" of such an intervention, he said during a Sunday discussion on Syria.
Germany mulls sending up to 1,200 troops on Syria mission:
Defence Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said that the figure would be an "upper limit" for the number of troops needed to provide support for and operate reconnaissance aircraft, tanker planes and a warship. German troops will not actively engage in combat.
Senators call for 20,000 more troops in Syria and Iraq:
Two senior senators called Sunday for Washington to nearly triple military force levels in Iraq to 10,000 and send an equal number of troops to Syria as part of a multinational ground force to counter Islamic State in both countries.
Ex-US Intelligence Chief on Islamic State's Rise: 'We Were Too Dumb':
Without the Iraq war, Islamic State wouldn't exist today, former US special forces chief Mike Flynn openly admits. In an interview, he explains IS' rise to become a professional force and how the Americans allowed its future leader to slip out of their hands.
ISIS-smuggled oil flows through Turkey to intl markets - Iraqi MP:
Terrorist group Islamic State earns millions of dollars selling oil on the black market in Turkey, Iraqi MP and former national security adviser, Mowaffak al Rubaie told RT. He also revealed that wounded terrorists are being treated in Turkish hospitals.
Iraqi forces make gains in battle to retake Ramadi:
Iraqi forces backed by Iranian-trained militias and U.S. airstrikes have made significant progress in isolating Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province that Islamic State overran in May, according to Iraqi officials, local residents and Western military advisers. But it is uncertain that the city will soon be retaken.
15 Shia pilgrims killed in two Baghdad blasts:
Two bombings in different parts of Iraq's capital Baghdad have struck groups of Shia Muslims taking part in an annual religious pilgrimage, killing at least 15 people and injuring 38 others, Al Jazeera has learned.
16 dead in fighting for south Yemen province:
Yemeni pro-government forces were battling on Sunday to oust Iran-backed rebels from a southern province where they have made gains in recent weeks. Ground fighting and air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition killed 12 rebels in Daleh province, military sources said. Four loyalists were also killed.
Three Saudi border soldiers killed in attack from Yemen:
Three Saudi border soldiers were killed after exchanging fire with "enemy elements" trying to cross the border from Yemen to attack two watch towers, Saudi Arabia's official SPA news agency said on Monday.
In Yemen War, Mercenaries Launched By Blackwater Head Were Spotted Today:
The United Arab Emirates, as reported in today's New York Times, has hired foreign mercenaries, from a program launched by Blackwater's head Erik Prince, and secretly sent them to the fighting in Yemen. This is not a good sign.
Three Israelis found guilty of Palestinian teen's murder:
Two Jewish minors were found guilty on Monday of the 2014 murder of a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem, but the Israeli court held off on formally convicting a third man accused of orchestrating the crime, pending a psychological review.
Seven hacked to death in Congo hospital, dozens killed in clashes with Ugandan rebels:
Seven people hacked to death in a hospital were among at least 30 people killed in fighting at the weekend between the army, backed by U.N. troops, and Islamist Ugandan rebels in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said on Monday.
Under fire in Syria & Iraq, IS tightens hold in Libya:
When the Libyan arm of the Islamic State first raised the group's black flag over the coastal city of Surt almost one year ago, it was just a bunch of local militants trying to look tough. Today Surt is an actively managed colony of the central IS, crowded with foreign fighters from around the region,
IMF agrees to include China's RMB in benchmark SDR currency basket:
The decision - which marks another step in China's global emergence - came after the IMF evaluated China's role as an exporter and the yuan's role as a "freely usable" currency. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde noted the currency's inclusion is a "clear representation of the reforms" taking place in China.
Putin, Obama hold talks at climate conference: Kremlin:
The half-hour meeting between the two leaders -- the second this month after an encounter at the G20 conference in Turkey -- comes with Moscow and Washington at odds over Syria and locked in a standoff over the crisis in Ukraine.
Putin snubs meeting with Erdogan at Paris climate conference:
Putin's snub comes after the Turkish leader called for face-to-face talks with Putin on the sidelines of the summit to discuss the shooting down of the plane on the Syria-Turkish border.
Turkish PM: We will not apologize for downing Russian jet:
Turkey will not apologize for downing a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border but urged Moscow to reconsider retaliatory sanctions in the hope of calming the crisis, Turkish Premier Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday.
Turkey Shot Itself in the Foot When it Attacked Russia;
The Turks stand to lose big. Here's a breakdown of the economic links between Russia and Turkey (Reuters):
Hours after EU deal, Turkey rounds up 1,300 migrants bound for Greece:
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday struck a deal with EU leaders to prevent migrants from traveling to Europe in return for 3 billion euros (dollars) in cash, a deal on visas and renewed talks on joining the 28-nation bloc.
Downing Street: still no timetable for Syria vote:
David Cameron has instructed security officials to give high level briefings to privy councillors from all sides of the Commons in a bid to answer questions from sceptical MPs on the effectiveness of airstrikes in Syria.
Jeremy Corbyn offers free vote to Labour MPs:
The party's position will be "strong anti-bombing", however. Mr Cameron will hope to persuade enough Labour MPs to rebel against Mr Corbyn's stance of opposing the bombing campaign. The Labour leader's office released a statement earlier revealling that 75 per cent of party members oppose bombing.
French police fire tear gas to disperse climate protest:
Activists defy ban on demonstrations in Paris as more than 140 heads of state arrive for UN summit on climate change.
The police crackdown in Paris and the drift towards dictatorship in France:
The state of emergency bans all forms of public protest for three months, and police seized upon this standing ban to stage a brutal crackdown on a crowd of several thousand people
Why the Paris climate talks are doomed to failure, like all the others: News Analysis -
Even if the world celebrates a Paris climate deal on December 11, the process will still have to be regarded as failure. Let me explain why.
U.S. tightens visa waiver program in wake of Paris attacks:
The Department of Homeland Security will immediately collect more information from travelers about past visits to "countries constituting a terrorist safe haven" and also will look at pilot programs for collecting biometric information like fingerprints from visa waiver travelers, the White House said in a statement.
