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38 ISIS fighters killed near Palmyra: At least 38 Islamic State (ISIS) group fighters were killed in United States-led coalition air strikes this week near Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor said on Saturday, according to AFP.

Suicide bomber kills 14 troops in Syria: Another young Malaysian Islamic State recruit in Syria has blown himself up, killing 14 government soldiers and injuring scores others.

Evacuation buses enter east Aleppo under ICRC, SARC supervision: The buses will be used to evacuate rebels and civilians, it said. Thousands of people have congregated in a square in Syria's east Aleppo, waiting for buses to arrive and take them away from rebel-held areas.

Aleppo battle: Rebels burn Syria evacuation buses: Several buses sent to transport the sick and injured from two government-held villages in Syria's Idlib province have been burned by rebels.

Syria hands over evidence of mustard gas attack by rebels on civilians to OPCW (VIDEO); Syrian authorities have handed over a batch of documents with the evidence of a rebel use of banned chemical agent against civilians near Aleppo to the international chemical watchdog

The unravelling of Syria's Eastern Ghouta: While all eyes are on Aleppo, the Syrian government and its allies are believed to be preparing another deal in what may become among the most significant rebel territories to date to accept a truce.

Syrian Army Advances in Western Palmyra After Foiling Massive ISIS Offensive: Led by the 800th Regiment and Hezbollah, the Syrian Armed Forces managed to expand the buffer-zone around the northern and eastern perimeters of the T-4 Airport, capturing more than 6km worth of territory near the T-4 Pumping Station.

Iraq: 15 Islamic State militants killed on Salahuddin-Kirkuk borders: Fifteen Islamic State extremists were killed and wounded on Sunday after an attempted attack on federal police and popular troops, al-Hashd al-Shaabi, at a region between Salahuddin and Kirkuk.

Nine IS militants killed in Iraq's Mosul - Commander; At least nine militants of so-called Islamic State (IS) were killed by Mosul's military personnel and citizens, commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah announced on Sunday.

Militia backed by Iraq government 'killed captured Islamic State fighters'; A militia backed by the Iraqi government killed suspected Islamic State fighters captured during the operation to retake Mosul, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.

5 killed, 14 wounded in Iraq bomb attacks : At least five people were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday in separate bomb attacks which mainly targeted Iraqi security forces, security sources said.

ISIL claims killings of 49 soldiers in Yemen's Aden: Suicide bombing struck soldiers waiting to collect their salaries in port city.

Saudi official denies reports US has decided to restrict military support: At press conference with John Kerry, Saudi foreign minister says leaked news ‘contradicts reality’ as Kerry downplays reported delay in US weapons supplies

General Dynamics Scores Its Biggest Tank Sale in Years: General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) landed a huge arms contract Opens a New Window. in August when Saudi Arabia requested permission to purchase $1.15 billion worth of M1 Abrams main battle tanks for its army.

Jordan: Canadian among 10 killed by gunmen: authorities: Gunmen ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing a woman visiting from Canada, seven officers and two local civilians, officials said

Yet Another Palestinian Teen Killed by Israeli Forces; The young man was killed as Israeli police shot into a crowd of about 50 people.

Iran protests to IAEA over US violation of nuclear deal: Rouhani maintained that the recent US move to extend Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for another ten years is in clear violation of the JCPOA;

Head of U.N. nuclear watchdog says Iran showing commitment to deal; "Iran has been committed to its engagement so far and this is important," Amano was quoted as saying after meeting Iran's nuclear energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi.

Suicide bomber kills seven in Libya's Benghazi: officials: At least seven people were killed and eight wounded when a suicide bomber targeted forces loyal to Libya's eastern government in Benghazi on Sunday, medical and security officials said.

11 gunmen killed in clashes with police in Russia’s Chechnya: Regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said Sunday that police killed four gunmen and captured two others after a group of gunmen attempted to target police forces in the provincial capital, Grozny.

Italy has blocked the extension of sanctions against Russia: At the EU summit in Brussels, Italy blocked the attempt to extend sanctions against Russia for one year. Rome was also against the extension of sanctions for alleged crimes committed by Russia in Syria.

Fake news? Prosecutors and courts should go after, says German justice minister: : EU Parliament’s President Martin Schulz calls on a respective ruling throughout the European Union.

Spain: 30,000 March in Anti-Austerity Labor Protest in Madrid: The protesters demand an increase in salaries and pensions and a rollback of austerity measures that have worsened poverty and inequality.

Hundreds arrested in Venezuela cash chaos, vigilantes protect shops: Security forces have arrested more than 300 people during protests and lootings over the elimination of Venezuela's largest currency bill, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday.

Venezuela reinstates the 100-bolivar banknote; Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has suspended the withdrawal of the country’s most widely-used banknote. Maduro said the 100-bolivar bill will be reinstated after higher-denomination notes failed to arrive in time.

Venezuela Recoups 4 Billion Bolivares From 'Financial Mafias': President Nicolas Maduro announced Saturday that the government has reclaimed 4 billion bolivares from "financial mafias" who have been accumulating and hoarding 100 bolivar bills as part of a program of economic war against the country.

New Files Reveal US Sold Argentina Military Aircraft to Dump Bodies in Ocean: Declassified documents on Operation Condor reveal that the U.S. knew and assisted the Argentine dictatorship as it threw unconscious prisoners to their death in notorious “vuelos de la muerte,” or death flights.

'Life threatening' arctic blast chills northern United States: Temperatures droped to minus THIRTY - as forecasters warn of heavy snowfall and frostbite risk

Politicized Intelligence Kneecapping Trump; The back story behind the CIA’s leaked claim of Russia helping Donald Trump is an attempt to hobble Trump’s less-hawkish foreign policy before he even gets into the White House, says ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke.

Demonizing Trump?Three professors of psychiatry call for ‘neuropsychiatric evaluation’ of Trump out of fears he’s mentally ill: In a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, three professors of psychiatry — including one from Harvard Medical School — expressed fears that President-elect Donald Trump’s exhibits signs he may not be mentally fit to assume the presidency.

Dem boss demands bipartisan congressional investigation into alleged Russian hacks: “What we do know is that these intrusions were not just ‘hacks’ — they were attacks on the United States by a foreign power, and they must be treated as such,” she said.

Is Alleged Russian Election Hack Just the Beginning for USA?: Americans may believe that we hold the moral high ground — but we as a nation shouldn’t be foolish enough to assume that’s the global consensus.

Unity vigils launch in state capitols nationwide before Electoral College vote: Unite For America allies within the Electoral College have been in talks with multiple electors seeking public support and legal counsel in denying Trump their vote on December 19.

Electors under siege: Members of the Electoral College have been inundated by harassing phone calls and hate mail. Many report receiving death threats.

Electoral College members from Pa. issued state police protection: Report: One elector told the website that each elector has been assigned a plain clothes state police trooper for protection

Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump: Mr. Trump lacks the foreign policy experience and demeanor needed to be commander in chief.

Fact or fiction - Majority Want Monday's Electoral College Vote Postponed In Wake Of Russia Scandal: New Poll: A majority of American voters favor delaying the Electoral College vote scheduled for Monday until electors can be fully briefed on Russian interference in the election, according to a new poll

White House faces exodus of foreign policy experts: Many are concerned by a proliferation of reports about the incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn. On Wednesday the Washington Post reported that Flynn had improperly shared classified information with foreign military officers.

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Iraq: Security forces kill 174 IS members in Nineveh: Operations Command announced on Friday killing 174 members of the Islamic State, while trying to attack security forces in the province, as well as detonating their booby-trapped vehicles.

IS Shows No Sign Of Weakening As Mosul Battle Enters Third Month: Islamic State fighters have stepped up counterattacks on Iraqi forces in Mosul amid bad weather as the U.S.-backed offensive to capture their last major city stronghold in Iraq enters its third month.

'IS chief still in Mosul' claims Iraqi intelligence; Baghdadi likely remained in the city, and is currently hiding in an underground bunker, Maj. Gen. Fadhil Jalil Barwari said, adding that Iraqi intelligence cannot pin-point his exact location.

U.S. offers $25 million reward for information on Islamic State leader: The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program previously offered $10 million for information on Baghdadi, announced in October 2011. The increase was announced in a statement on Friday.

Turkish jets pound Islamic State targets in Syria, kill at least 20: military; In addition to the 64 targets hit, the military said another 206 Islamic State targets were hit by artillery and other weaponry in its latest operations in northern Syria.

Deadly bombing hits Syrian refugee camp on Jordan border: At least five people were killed and ten injured Saturday in a deadly bomb attack on a Syrian refugee camp on the border with Jordan, local sources said.

14 US Coalition Military Officers Captured by Syrian Special Forces in East Aleppo Bunker: Report: According to Alcharifi, captured “NATO” officers were from a number of member states including the US, France, Germany and Turkey, as well as Israel.

UK, US have vaslty different estimates of total ISIS fighters killed U.K. Defense Secretary estimated that 25,000 ISIS fighters had been killed during the campaign. A senior military official told CNN last week that the Pentagon’s conservative estimate is that 50,000 ISIS soldiers have been killed.

Liberation of E. Aleppo has allowed ‘genuine’ separation of ‘moderate rebels’ from radicals – MoD: “The accomplished operation of the Russian Reconciliation Center [in Syria] to safely withdraw militants from [eastern] Aleppo with their families is unique, not only because the lives of nearly 10,000 Syrians were saved,” he stated.

Aleppo Liberation Exposed Mainstream Media and Their Lies About Syria: "I can categorically and unequivocally say that the majority of their reports are based on unverified sources and are blatantly untrue,” Beeley said.

Over 3,400 Militants Surrender to Syrian Army in Aleppo: "A total number of 3,406 militants of the so-called moderate opposition groups have surrendered during the liberation of Eastern Aleppo, and over 3,000 of them have been pardoned,"

Car Bomb Kills 13, Wounds 56 in Turkey; President Tayyip Erdogan blamed Kurdish militants for the attack, as he has waged a fierce crackdown against anyone who supports the Kurdish movement.

Explosions in Istanbul as angry mobs storm HDP offices: Angry mobs stormed the premises of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) offices across Turkey on Saturday evening, with initial reports suggesting the involvement of ultra-nationalists.

Hamas blames Israel for assassination of drone chief; Palestinian group says Zawari was part of its military wing for 10 years and vowed revenge against "the Zionist enemy".

Peace prospects dead if Trump moves U.S. embassy to Jerusalem: Palestinian aide: A senior Palestinian official warned on Friday that implementation of Donald Trump’s pledge to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would destroy any prospects for peace with Israel

Israeli President Promises to Help Ukraine Return Crimea: "We Have a Plan to liberate Crimea from Putin's 'Dictators' Club"

Fierce clashes reported in Yemen-Saudi border: Yemen's dominant Houthi group said Saturday that its fighters have repelled a major offensive launched by their foes of Saudi government troops in Alab border crossing, between Saudi Asir region and Yemeni northern Houthi stronghold of Saada

UK 'secretly selling arms to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere under opaque licencing : many of the countries buying British arms are run by governments with dubious human rights records, even though the destinations of such exports are supposed to meet human rights standards.

Did Satellites Expose A Secret American Drone Hangar In A Saudi Desert?: Did this satellite just happen to reveal the location of a secret U.S. military airport used to conduct drone operations in Yemen?

Iran calls for meeting of nuclear deal powers over U.S. sanctions; Iran has requested a meeting of a commission overseeing the implementation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian state media reported on Saturday, in response to what Tehran calls a U.S. violation of the agreement.

Twelve soldiers killed in attack on Burkina Faso army post; A dozen soldiers were killed in northern Burkina Faso when unidentified gunmen attacked a military post near the border with Mali, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said on Friday, calling the assailants "forces of evil".

16 ISIS loyalists killed in US airstrike in East of Afghanistan; According to a statement released by the provincial police commandment, the militants were killed in a drone strike conducted in Achin district late on Friday night.

Gunmen kill five female Afghan airport staff in Kandahar; Samim Khpulwak, spokesman for the governor of Kandahar, said the five women were in charge of searching female travelers at the Kandahar airport, and had been hired by a private security company.

Kashmir, 3 soldiers killed: Motorcycle-riding militants fired on an army bus in southern Kashmir on Saturday, killing three soldiers, but the fatalities could have been higher had the driver not kept going despite being shot, police said.

Duterte's drug war: Death toll goes past 6,000: More than 1,000 people have been killed every month during the first six months of Duterte’s term.

Russia, Japan sign 68 agreements during Putin's visit: officials: Among business-to-business deals reached, gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) signed agreements on strategic cooperation with trading houses Mitsui & Co (8031.T) and Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T).

Russia launched ‘cyberwar & propaganda campaign’ against UK – media; The Russian embassy in the UK has demanded “proof” as critics label the allegations “psycho propaganda” and say the accusations are “a new low.”

US sends 1,600 tanks to the Netherlands as NATO's presence in Europe hits RECORD HIGH; Plans to open more storage sites in Poland, Belgium and Germany have also been put forward as part of a £2.7billion ($3.4billion) Congress-approved scheme to boost Nato’s presence in Europe.

Obama vows to slap Russia over alledged hacking; President Barack Obama, who has vowed to retaliate against Moscow over its election cyber-meddling, faces the media Friday as tensions soar with Russia's Vladimir Putin, whose Syria strategy has left Washington on the back foot.

Russia tells US to prove campaign hacking claims or shut up: The United States must either stop accusing Russia of meddling in its elections or prove it, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

Intelligence sources say “Russians are hacking the hell out of us”: American intelligence officials have told CBS they are convinced that Russian hacking of the U.S. presidential election was approved by Putin, and that he was aware of attacks that began in July of last year.

CIA Cloud Over Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post: Petition calls on the Washington Post to be “fully candid with its readers about the fact that the newspaper’s new owner, Jeff Bezos, is the founder and CEO of Amazon which recently landed a $600 million contract with the CIA.”

CIA meddled in ‘hundreds’ of elections: Ron Paul : “The American people should be worried about the influence of our CIA in other people's elections, I mean probably hundreds. It's constant,” he said, even going as far as to allude to “domestic assassinations” the CIA has allegedly taken part in.

Obama is bombing Syria and trying to oust Assad yet complains that Russia meddled in the election : Yes. That is how stupid things are today. America has been in the business of ‘nation building’ for generations – installing and deposing of nations leaders whenever they felt like it.

Protests flare over Venezuela cash chaos; three deaths reported; Protests and looting broke out in parts of Venezuela on Friday due to a lack of cash after the socialist government suddenly pulled the nation's largest banknote from circulation in the midst of a brutal economic crisis.

Venezuelans Take to Streets in Thousands to Support Government: Thousands of Venezuelans poured into the streets of Caracas on Saturday to protest against hoarders and speculators, who they say are responsible for what the government has described as an “economic war”

U.S. to disclose estimate of number of Americans under surveillance; The U.S. intelligence community will soon disclose an estimate of the number of Americans whose electronic communications have been caught in the crosshairs of online surveillance programs

Report: 820,000 criminal illegals, 84% with felonies, serious misdemeanors: "Some estimates say that there are only 820,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the country, including 690,000 with a felony or serious misdemeanor conviction," said that report.

President Obama's final press conference of 2016 : Video - President Barack Obama faced questions about the war in Syria, the investigation to determine if Russia hacked the DNC, and Hillary Clinton's emails during his final press conference of 2016.

Long-Shot to Block Trump Lands at Electoral College Monday; Sixty-two electors have asked for briefing on Russian hacking

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40 civilians killed as ISIS-security battles rage on in Mosul: At least 40 civilians were killed and scores were wounded in bombardments of liberated areas of Mosul as battles continue between Islamic State militants and Iraqi security forces since the dawn of Wednesday

ISIS execute 28 in Kirkuk for collaboration with security; “ISIS members executed today 28 army and Sahwa recruits by a firing squad at a district in Hawija. “The group executed them over charges of collaboration with government forces and Peshmerga.

Iraq: US-led coalition raid kills 9 in Mosul: Nine members of the same family were killed Tuesday in a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in Mosul amid a major offensive to recapture the northern Iraqi city from Daesh terrorist group.

Fact or propaganda? Dead children line streets after ‘gas attack’ in Hama; THE images are heartbreaking and distressing. But those who released them want the world to know exactly how they died.

Syrian rebels shell besieged villages in Idlib province: : Syrian insurgents fired shells at two Shiite-majority villages besieged by the rebels in Idlib province on Wednesday, with initial reports of casualties

Fierce fighting halts Aleppo evacuation: Under the evacuation deal, civilians and rebels from eastern Aleppo were to be allowed to go to rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Raytheon linked to another alleged war crime in Yemen – 31 dead; A new report by Human Rights Watch says that an airstrike in September that killed at least 31 civilians, including three children, was unlawful.

US kills 4 "suspected" al-Qaida operatives in Yemen; The drone hit the alledged suspects while traveling on a road between Marib and al-Jawf provinces, northeast of the capital Sanaa, the official said on condition of anonymity, providing no further details.

A man who’s suing the U.S. government for killing his family in a drone strike just made history; The case could wind up peeling back some of the layers of secrecy surrounding America’s use of drones in its wars.

Eleven headless bodies found in Yemen's port city Aden: Last Saturday, a suicide bomber killed 50 soldiers when he blew himself up at a military base in the city in the latest of a series of attacks claimed by Islamic State.

U.S. Continues Support For Saudi Arabia In Yemen While Halting Some Arms Sales; The United States has decided to limit military support to Saudi Arabia’s campaign in Yemen because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties and will halt a planned arms sale to the kingdom

The US may be aiding war crimes in Yemen: Washington is giving direct military support to the Saudi campaign, including providing aerial refueling of the Saudi warplanes that have hit schools, hospitals, and other civilian targets

Theresa May refuses to follow US in ending bomb sales to Saudi Arabia: The Prime Minister has rejected a call for the UK to stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia – following the US’s decision to restrict arms sales to the autocracy.

Two thirds of Palestinians no longer believe in two-state deal; 54 percent have no faith whatsoever in the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority; the president takes more steps to prevent a Dahlan political comeback.

IDF concerned Trump administration may cut defense aid: Though there is a formal agreement dictating the amount of money given each year — currently $3.3 billion, increasing to $3.8 billion in 2018 — that is not legally binding and can be changed by the US president.

Italy Convicts 2 Men For Shipwreck That Killed Some 700 Migrants ; a judge in Sicily found Tunisian Mohammed Ali Malek guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to 18 years in prison

Afghan National Security Forces kills 29 militant: “In the past 24 hours, the Afghan forces conducted several anti-terrorism operations to clear some of the areas from terrorists

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte says he personally killed criminals: Controversial leader – who has endorsed extrajudicial executions of drug offenders – says he killed to show police officers ‘if I can do it, why can’t you?’

U.S. urges Taiwan to increase defense spending given China threat: Defense spending in Taiwan has not kept pace with the threat posed by China and should be increased, a senior U.S. defense official said on Tuesday, days after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump touched off a storm by questioning American policy over the island.

China warns Trump ignoring one-China policy could affect peace; Any change in U.S. policy favouring formal recognition of Taiwan will "seriously" damage peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and undermine relations between Beijing and Washington, a Chinese government spokesman said Wednesday.

China warns of anti-monopoly penalty for US carmaker; China is threatening to fine a US automaker for monopolistic behaviour, in what some analysts are calling a warning by Beijing in response to heightened tension with the incoming US administration of president-elect Donald Trump.

‘Unprecedented White House attempt to smear incoming president’; The White House has made some new allegations against President-elect Donald Trump over his supposed ties with Russia.

Top U.S. Spy Agency Has Not Embraced CIA Assessment On Russia Hacking: The overseers of the U.S. intelligence community have not embraced a CIA assessment that Russian cyber attacks were aimed at helping Republican President-elect Donald Trump win the 2016 election, three American officials said on Monday.

Analysis: New US state chief a perfect fit for Russia: Friendship between Putin and Rex Tillerson dates back to 1990s when the Texas oilman established a US energy presence.

Change in the Arctic this year was unlike any ever seen, scientists say: The meltdown at the top of the world proceeded at an unprecedented clip over the past year, a sweeping scientific report said Tuesday.

Trump Team Disavows Request To ID Climate Staffers: 'Not Authorized': "The questionnaire was not authorized or part of our standard protocol. The person who sent it has been properly counseled," an unnamed Trump transition official told CNN.

Fed Raises Rates, Boosts Outlook for Borrowing Costs in 2017; Federal Reserve officials raised interest rates for the first time this year and forecast a steeper path for borrowing costs in 2017, saying inflation expectations have increased “considerably”

American households racking up more debt ; And total household debt, including mortgages, has ballooned to $132,529, up from $88,063 in 2002

Silicon Valley tries to make peace with Trump Tower: The leaders of Apple, Facebook and other tech giants that Donald Trump disparaged on the campaign trail will descend Wednesday on Trump Tower for a meeting that could reset their fractious relationship — or set the stage for four acrimonious years.

Elon Musk joins Donald Trump’s advisory council despite criticising President-elect: The President-elect’s transition team announced the appointment of the Tesla executive alongside Travis Kalanick, the chief executive of Uber, on Wednesday.

Trump Dares Senate to Reject Tillerson; “Donald Trump’s selection of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state on Tuesday amounted to a dare to Senate Republicans to reject the ExxonMobil chief over his close ties to Russia. Early signs suggest the GOP won’t defy the president-elect,” Politico reports.

Trump attack on Lockheed Martin foreshadows war on defense industry; Trump's latest Twitter broadside sent defense shares tumbling and fanned concerns that the incoming administration will reduce defense contractors' profit margins and cut broader federal spending

Flynn deletes fake news tweet about Clinton's involvement in sex crimes: The tweet linked to an article in True Pundit, which falsely claimed that New York police had found evidence linking Clinton and her senior staff to crimes involving underage sex rings.

Syria: Government Liberates Aleppo - In Revenge(?) ISIS Retakes Palmyra By Moon Of Alabama
	U.S. Secretary of State Kerry is down to begging the Russians to let some of his friends escape. - Continue

The Democrats “Russia Hacking” Campaign is Political Suicide By Mike Whitney
	Clinton lost the election is because she is a polarizing, untrustworthy warmonger. Period. Putin had nothing to do with it. - Continue

Stop the CIA Coup The Deep State versus Donald Trump By Justin Raimondo
	The CIA is up to its old tricks: overthrowing a democratically elected government. Only this time it’s our government. - Continue

Rogue Elements of the CIA Are Operating Against President-elect Trump By Paul Craig Roberts
	It is the CIA that is using fake news to delegitimize a president-elect. - Continue

The CIA’s Absence of Conviction By Craig Murray
	A little simple logic demolishes the CIA’s claims. - Continue

Former CIA Agent Blows Whistle On Secret Shadow Government Video
	This silences the employee permanently, obscuring the agency’s role in their destruction. It is the perfect crime. - Continue

Demagogue-in-Chief By Chris Hedges
	Trump is the sick expression of a dysfunctional political system. - Continue

Health Care Hither and Yon:An Invitation to Scream about Socialism By Fred Reed
	In the debate over Obamacare, few looked at systems in other countries to see how well what worked. - Continue

Life on Earth is Dying. Thousands of Species Cease to Exist By Robert J. Burrowes
	The human onslaught to destroy life on Earth is unprecedented in Earth’s history. - Continue

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Turkish army says hits Islamic State targets in Syria, killing 12 militants: Turkish warplanes destroyed 27 Islamic State targets and killed 12 militants in the latest operations in northern Syria, the Turkish army said on Sunday.

Aleppo ‘opposition’ blocked humanitarian aid & held civilians ‘on some occasions’ – Kerry: “It is true that there have been some occasions where certain elements of the opposition have threatened people who were going to leave [Aleppo], and in some cases prevented humanitarian assistance from being delivered,” Kerry said

Aleppo’s terrified residents flee rebel districts, death and hunger: The opposition faces the same kind of stark choices they were forced to consider on other battlefields: give up their guns and accept a government offer of an amnesty.

1,217 Militants Surrendered To Govt Forces In Aleppo: 1,217 militants surrendered to government forces and over 20,000 residents left eastern Aleppo in the first part of Saturday.

4,000 ISIS fighters regroup, make new attempt to capture Palmyra, Syria – Reconciliation Center: “Despite heavy losses in manpower and [military] hardware, the terrorists seek to come as close as possible and gain a foothold in the city,

The U.S. is sending another 200 troops to invade Syria as ISIS fight intensifies around Raqqa; The Pentagon is sending another 200 troops to northern Syria as operations intensify around the Islamic State's self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Saturday.

Car bombs in Iraq's Falluja kill eight people: police and medics: Eight people were killed in two car bombings in the Iraqi city of Falluja west of Baghdad on Sunday, police and hospital sources said, and a news agency close to Islamic State said its militants carried out the attacks.

Istanbul: Armed group TAK claims deadly attack: Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, an armed group known by the Kurdish-language acronym TAK, has claimed responsibility for two explosions that have killed at least 38 people outside an Istanbul football stadium.

Yemen: 40 killed as ISIL claims suicide blast in Aden: The suicide bomber detonated his explosives on Saturday as troops were waiting to collect their salaries at the entrance to the Sawlaban base on the outskirts of Aden.

Schoolgirl suicide bombers kill 56 in Nigerian market: official: Two schoolgirl suicide bombers killed 56 people and wounded dozens more in a coordinated attack on a crowded market in the northeastern Nigerian town of Madagali on Friday, a local official said.

2 girls ‘aged 7 or 8’ blow themselves up in Nigeria market, injuring at least 17: A pair of girls, believed to be aged between 7 and 8, blew themselves up in a bustling northeastern Nigerian market in Maiduguri, killing themselves and injuring at least 17 others, according to a local official and a militia member.

Cairo: 25 killed by bomb blast at St Mark's Cathedral: A bomb blast has killed at least 25 people during Sunday mass inside a Cairo church near the main Coptic Christian cathedral, according to Egyptian state TV .

Car Blast Kills 16 at Police Station in Somalia's Capital: A suicide car bomber killed at least 16 people and injured nine others at a police station in the Somalia capital, a Somali police official said Sunday.

2,300 US soldiers headed to Afghanistan this winte: The Army will deploy an armor brigade and an aviation brigade totaling about 2,300 soldiers to Afghanistan this winter as Afghan forces struggle to contain a Taliban resurgence there.

Former Icelandic minister claims US sent 'planeload of FBI agents to frame Julian Assange' in 2011: The former minister claims the FBI was seeking Iceland's 'cooperation in what I understood as an operation set up to frame Julian Assange and WikiLeaks'.

Michigan Cops Strap Black Man To A Chair Severely Beats Him Until He Is Blind In One Eye: Officer entered the frame, donned a pair of gloves and began to beat Taylor savagely until he lost consciousness.

Consumer Confidence in U.S. Surges Thanks to Optimism About Trump: Consumer confidence jumped more than forecast this month as Americans expressed the sunniest picture of their financial situation in 11 years, extending a boost following Donald Trump’s election victory.

Rex Tillerson of ExxonMobil Expected to Be Named Trump's Secretary of State: Sources: The 64-year-old veteran oil executive has no government or diplomatic experience, although he has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin

ExxonMobil says to return to Russian Arctic once sanctions lifted: The oil major had to withdrew from the drilling project with Rosneft in 2014 when the West imposed sanctions against Moscow for its role in the Ukrainian crisis.

Trump floats ban on defense firms hiring military procurement officials: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he was considering imposing a lifetime ban on U.S. military procurement officials going to work for defense contractors, a move that could dramatically reshape the defense industry.