At least 16 killed in northeast Syria bombings:
At least 16 people were killed and more than 25 injured when explosions struck three restaurants in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on Wednesday, a monitoring group said.
Russia Jets Eliminated ISIS Commanders in Raqqa in Syria Where They Held Meeting:
The Russian Air Forces have eliminated several ISIS commanders striking a building in Raqqa, where they were holding a meeting. The intelligence data for the operation was provided by opposition forces, Russian Defense Ministry said.
Syrian army launches assault against rebels in Golan Heights:
Rebels said the attacks began at dawn, when the army stormed the village of Samdaniya al Gharbiya, near the border with Israel. The army said the village was captured, but rebels in the area said heavy fighting continued.
VIDEO: Syrian Army Regains Towns, Villages in Hama Province:
The Syrian army supported by the National Defense Forces recaptured several towns and villages in Hama province, sources said Thursday.
Syrian rebels push back after government onslaught:
Fighters try to reclaim land lost near Sheikh Maskin after major offensive by government forces and Russian air power.
Putin's SUCCEEDING against ISIS: US officials FINALLY admit Russia's doing the RIGHT thing:
THREE months after Russia started its bombing campaign against Islamic State in Syria, US officials have said to finally have admitted Moscow is doing the right thing.
C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition:
A small number of C.I.A. officers are operating secretly in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border will receive arms to fight the Syrian government, according to American officials and Arab intelligence officers.
Saudi Arabia slams Russian killing of Syrian rebel leader, saying it 'does not serve peace':
Zahran Alloush, 44, who headed the rebel group Jaysh al-Islam, was killed when Russian warplanes struck near Damascus last week. His death was a major blow to rebel control of the eastern suburbs of Damascus.
US and Turkey discuss possible regime change in Syria:
"On Syria, we discussed ... not only denying ISIL a safe haven, rolling back and defeating them, but also strengthening the Syrian opposition and ensuring a transition away from the al-Assad regime," Biden said in a joint news conference with Erdogan. He stressed that the U.S. "needs Turkey" in its fight against ISIL.
Iraqi general says about 30% of Ramadi is still controlled by Isis fighters;
Iraq's head of military operations in Anbar has said IS (Daesh) still controls part of the city. IS fighters have pulled back from about 70% of the city, but still control the rest, said General Ismail al-Mahlawi.
US army: ISIS militants still in Ramadi: -
Several hundred Islamic State (ISIS) militants are still believed to be in Ramadi days after the Iraqi army declared it free from the group's control.
Iraq: 80 percent of Ramadi in ruins after fighting:
Months of battles and air strikes on ISIL-held city have pummeled most of it with 3,000 homes destroyed, officials say.
Iraq threatens Turkey with military action until all troops are withdrawn:
While Iraq threatens Turkey with use of force over troops deployed in the country to support local units in fight against Daesh, PM Davutoglu called Iraqi PM Al-Abadi and told him that the threats of Daesh and PKK in the region need to be taken into consideration while assessing the situation
Erdogan: Turkey Killed 3,100 PKK Rebels in 2015:
Turkish security forces killed 3,100 Kurdish militants in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday, vowing no let-up in a relentless offensive to oust rebels from towns and mountains in the southeast.
Yemen: Saudi-led airstrikes kill six children in Hajjah:
Six children of one family were killed by Saudi airstrikes in Hajjah province on Thursday. Two airstrikes targeted a house of a citizen in Khiran al-Muharraq district, which led to the killing of six children including two girls, an official in the joint operations room in the province said.
Gunmen kill senior militia leader in Yemen's Aden: residents;
Assailants in a car and on a motorcycle opened fire on the motorcade of Ahmed al-Idrisi, a top commander in the pro-government Popular Southern Resistance group, while it traveled on a main road in the Mansoura district late on Wednesday.
Palestinian killed after suspected car attack near Huwwara:
A spokesperson for the Israeli army told Ma'an that an assailant ran his car into Israeli forces who were stationed on highway 60 near the Huwwara checkpoint for security purposes. The forces opened fire on the man, killing him on scene, the spokesperson said.
US NGOs sued over $280bn aid sent to Israel, deducted from taxes - report :
The donations were "pass-throughs" to support the Israeli army and settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories which had been ruled illegal by the UN.
Netanyahu's wife quizzed over suspected misuse of public funds:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife arrived at a police station Thursday for questioning over allegations the couple used public funds on purchases and repairs for their private home
Rubio Outraged by Spying on Israel's Government:
One reason Rubio may be carving out a special objection to spying on the Israeli government is that he is competing in the so-called Adelson primary - a contest for the financial backing of the pro-Israel casino magnate who spent $150 million during the 2012 election.
Egyptian army kills 15 armed militants:
Egyptian forces on Thursday killed 15 armed militants, and injured dozens more in an airstrike operation in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian security sources said. Sources said that Egyptian air forces hit 16 targets near southern Rafah and the town of Sheikh Zuweid and succeeded in foiling a planned attack against the Egyptian army.
Burundi leader vows to fight AU troops:
"Everybody should respect the borders of Burundi. If the troops are in violation of this decision, they will have attacked Burundi, and each Burundian must stand up to fight them," President Pierre Nkurunziza said in a speech broadcast on state radio.
Iran warns US against sanctions over missile program:
"Such measures are unilateral, arbitrary and illegal and the Islamic Republic of Iran has [already] served notice to the US government [in this regard]," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, said on Thursday.
At Least 25 Daesh Militants Killed by Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan:
At least 25 militants from the Islamic State (IS, or Daesh in Arabic) terrorist group have been killed, and 31 others wounded, in two airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, the country's Ministry of Defense said on Thursday.
'US and NATO operation in Afghanistan has failed' - Russian president's special envoy:
The US and NATO mission in Afghanistan has been a complete failure, the Russian President's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told TASS, in evaluating the effectiveness of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) there.
China builds new aircraft carrier in show of strength to Washington:
China intends to beef up its maritime presence by building a second aircraft carrier. Beijing wants to exert its presence in the South China Sea, after complaining of "provocations" from the US, as well as defending its interests in the region.
Donbas militia claim Donetsk suburbs were shelled by Ukrainian army :
Ukraine's Armed Forces have violated the silence regime over the past day once, a source in the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) told the Donetsk News Agency on Wednesday.
Russia Bans Turkish Companies From Construction, Tourism, Services for State :
Russia will prohibit Turkish companies from construction, tourism, the hotel business and services for state and municipal needs from January 1, the Russian government said in a resolution on Wednesday.
ISIS planning 2016 slaughter in Europe and the US to provoke 'FINAL BATTLE' with the West:
The terror group claims have to hundreds of militants in Europe and the US ready to take action on its command.
Suspected Islamic State backer held for New York attack plot: Justice Department:
A criminal complaint against Lutchman, who appeared in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York on Thursday, described him as a "self-professed Muslim convert with a criminal history dating back to approximately 2006.... as well as previous state mental hygiene arrests."
Puerto Rico to Default on $37 million But Meet GO Debt:
Puerto Rico will default on part of the nearly US$1 billion in debt repayments due to its bondholders on Jan. 4, its second default in five months.
A California Gas Leak Is the Biggest Environmental Disaster Since the BP Oil Spill:
The largest natural gas leak ever recorded is jeopardizing health and causing evacuations for thousands of Southern California residents. And two months into it, scientists and engineers still can't figure out a way to contain the seeping gas.
Jobless claims rise sharply during holiday week:
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose sharply last week, a potential signal the job market was losing steam although some of the increase might be attributed to temporary holiday factors.
Two of Ben Carson's Top Aides Quit Campaign:
In an another sign that Carson's campaign is struggling, Campaign Manager Barry Bennett and Communications Director Doug Watts have resigned amid the one-time top-tier candidate's dropping poll numbers.
