Obama and Putin to meet; Syria and Ukraine vie for attention

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in New York next week at a time of high tension in Europe and the Middle East, but the Kremlin and the White House disagreed on Thursday over the top priority for the talks.

EU leaders claim unity regained, pledge aid for Syrians

EU leaders pledged at least 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) for Syrian refugees in the Middle East and closer cooperation to stem migrant flows into Europe at a summit described as less tense than feared after weeks of feuding.

Syrian army starts using new weapons from Russia

The Syrian military has recently started using new types of air and ground weapons supplied by Russia, a Syrian military source told Reuters on Thursday, underlining growing Russian support for Damascus that is alarming the United States.

U.S. to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees

The U.S. will take in “at least 10,000” refugees from Syria in fiscal 2016, which starts Oct. 1, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday.

Russian troops join combat in Syria

Russian forces have begun participating in military operations in Syria in support of government troops, three Lebanese sources familiar with the political and military situation there said on Wednesday.

Israel to build smart fence on Jordan border

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon are set to announce Sunday the start of a multi-billion-shekel effort to construct a sensor-laden fence on the southern border with Jordan, the news site Ynet reported.

Russia ‘is building military base in Syria’

Russia is building a military base in Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s heartland, according to American intelligence officials, in the clearest indication yet of deepening Russian support for the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad.

ISIS calls Erdogan infidel, urges followers to conquer Istanbul

A fighter proclaiming allegiance to Islamic State has appeared in a video urging fellow Turks to rebel against “infidel” President Tayyip Erdogan and help conquer Istanbul, highlighting the threat the NATO member faces as it battles the radical insurgents.

IDF: Iran behind all recent attacks in Golan region

“All of the attacks in the Golan Heights sector since December 2013 have been carried out with Iranian direction,” a senior IDF Northern Command officer told reporters on Sunday.

UN Security Council Backs New Syria Peace Plan

The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed a new push for peace talks in Syria in a measure adopted by Damascus ally Russia and the other 14 member states, AFP reports.

U.S.-Turkey Deal Aims to Create de facto ‘safe zone’ in northwest Syria

Turkey and the United States have agreed on the outlines of a de facto “safe zone” along the Turkey-Syria border under the terms of a deal that is expected to significantly increase the scope and pace of the U.S.-led air war against the Islamic State in northern Syria, according to U.S. and Turkish officials.

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