Pope Francis: ‘Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters’
Pope Francis has told worshippers in a mosque in the Central African Republic that “Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters”.
World News
IMF poised to put Chinese yuan in elite currency basket
The International Monetary Fund is expected to approve inclusion of China’s yuan in its SDR basket of elite currencies on Monday, rewarding Beijing’s strong pursuit of the global status.
Russia deploys S-400 missile battery in Syria, state media says
The Russian military has deployed its sophisticated S-400 missile battery and radar array in Syria, a Russian state-run media outlet claimed Thursday.
Fourteen Countries Flying Sorties Over Syrian Airspace
Fourteen air forces have begun operating in Syrian airspace as a result of Operation Inherent Resolve, the air coaliton against ISIS. The air arms of the Syrian, Russian, Israeli, American, Jordanian, Australian, French, British, Turkish. Saudi, Canadian, Qatari, French and Bahraini armed forces have all operated within the Syrian airspace since the operation’s onset.
NATO sets emergency meeting after Turkey downs Russian jet
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday after Turkey’s military shot down a Russian jet fighter, and defended its action as one that fell “within the framework of engagement rules.”
Putin arrives in Iran as Russia eases nuclear export ban to Islamic Republic
President Vladimir Putin has eased an export ban on nuclear equipment and technology to Iran, a Kremlin decree published on Monday showed, after Tehran struck a deal with world powers on its nuclear program in July.
Visiting Tehran, Putin begins transfer of S-300
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin approved a plan on Monday to begin the transfer of the advanced S300 anti-aircraft system to Iran as he attended talks with leaders in Tehran.
Assad’s Fate Likely to Top Agenda During Putin’s Iran
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian leaders expected to focus on the Syrian crisis and an international peace plan intended to end the conflict.
Islamic State Employs New Tactics to Plot Attacks
The Islamic State is using a variety of new tactics, including encryption and control of local resources in Iraq and Syria, that make it more difficult to defeat without a greater U.S. presence in the Middle East, analysts said on Friday.
Russia Says U.S. Policies Helped Islamic State, Interfax Reports
U.S. actions in the Middle East helped Islamic State to gain influence, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, according to Interfax.
Officials: IS determined to produce chemical weapons
The Islamic State group is aggressively pursuing development of chemical weapons, setting up a branch dedicated to research and experiments with the help of scientists from Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the region, according to Iraqi and U.S. intelligence officials.
Jordan’s King Abdullah: We are facing a Third World War
The world is facing another global conflict and a fast response is needed to deal with the threat, Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Tuesday.
Iran uranium stockpile grows after deal with Obama
Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium has grown in the past three months, the United Nations nuclear watchdog reported on Wednesday. The stockpile is supposed to be slashed as a result of the agreement the regime reached this summer with the United States and other world powers.
France retaliates to Paris terror attacks, hits ISIS command center, training camp in Syria
French warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria on Sunday as police in Europe widened their investigations into coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people.
Obama huddles with Putin, backs France’s pursuit of deadly terrorists, on sidelines of G-20 summit
President Obama said Sunday at an international summit that America stands with France in its pursuit of those who committed the ‘horrific’ terror attacks in Paris and met informally with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Yuan Set to Join IMF Basket in Step Toward Currency Big Leagues
China’s yuan is poised to enter the big leagues of global currencies, according to the judgment of the International Monetary Fund.
Devil is in the detail before new round of Syria peace talks
Two weeks after they jointly called for a political solution to Syria’s civil war, foreign ministers and senior officials from Russia, the United States, Europe and the Middle East struggled on Friday to turn that idea into a more concrete plan.
Eiffel Tower goes dark as France mourns 129 killed in worst attacks on French soil since WW II
The Eiffel Tower stood dark in a symbol of mourning Saturday night as France struggled to absorb the deadliest violence on its soil since World War II: coordinated gun-and-suicide bombing attacks across Paris that left at least 129 people dead and 352 injured.
Hezbollah weapons warehouses were the target of Wednesday’s Israeli airstrikes in Syria
The target of Israel’s alleged airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday evening were Hezbollah weapons warehouses, Arab media affiliated with the opposition to Syrian Preisdent Basher Assad reported Thursday.
Iran Threatens to Walk Away from Nuke Deal
Iran has threatened to walk away from the recently inked nuclear deal and stop rolling back its nuclear enrichment program, according to recent comments by Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic’s president.