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Drones shot down, 35 militants killed in Mosul: Three drones guided by Islamic State militants were brought down and 35 group members were killed in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi police and paramilitary forces said as operations continue to recapture the city from militants.

Two car bombs in Baghdad kill at least 14 - sources: Islamic State claimed responsibility for the first blast which went off in Baghdad's eastern al-Obeidi area during the morning rush, killing six and wounding 15.

Iraqi general says 70 percent of east Mosul retaken from Islamic State: "Roughly 65-70 percent of the eastern side has been liberated," Shaghati said in an interview late on Wednesday in the Kurdish capital of Erbil. "I think in the coming few days we will see the full liberation of the eastern side".

Isil stops paying Mosul fighters' salaries in hint at funding shortage : The militants usually receive a monthly wage of around $350 but Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has reportedly stopped the payments in recent weeks

Mosul Dam could collapse at any minute 'killing 1.5 million people': Engineers and other experts have warned that the collapse of an eight mile (13 kilometre) long dam on the Tigris River in northern Iraq is just a “matter of time”

Syria conflict: Car bomb kills 11 in government-held town: Footage from the scene of Thursday's attack broadcast by state television showed charred, mangled cars, damage to shops, and pools of blood on the road.

Unidentified fighter jets kill at least 25 senior commanders of al-Nusra Front : "At least 25 Nusra terrorists, including their senior commanders attending a meeting in their command center, were killed in an airstrike by unidentified fighter jets on a main military base of Fatah al-Sham in Northwestern Idlib,

Thousands return to ruins of freezing Aleppo: U.N. official: In the last couple of days around 2,200 families have returned to the Hanano housing district, said Sajjad Malik, country representative in Syria for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Details of Syria truce agreement revealed: Ceasefire excludes territories occupied by Daesh, and the Al Qaida-linked Jabhat Al Nusra, the agreement calls for the deployment of Russian and Turkish military personnel to man checkpoints and monitor the ceasefire throughout Syria.

Iran hits back at Syria truce criticism from Turkey: “The current ceasefire in Syria has been violated repeatedly by the anti-government armed opposition groups,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Wednesday.

Two soldiers, 38 militants killed in al-Bab operation: Two Turkish soldiers were killed and two others were wounded in an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attack in northern Syria during Turkey’s Euphrates Shield Operation on Jan. 4,

Blast hits western Turkish city of Izmir: At least two killed in blast near a courthouse, while police have killed two attackers in coastal city, governor says.

Turkey questions U.S.-led coalition presence at Incirlik air base; Turkish officials are questioning the presence of U.S.-led coalition forces at an air base in southern Turkey over what they see as insufficient support for Turkey's military operations against Islamic State in Syria.

U.S. likely to keep supporting Turkish troops near al-Bab: U.S. military; "We do expect that there will be some ongoing support to Turkish operations in and around al-Bab," Dorrian said, confirming the U.S. warplanes had supported Turkish forces near the town last week.

Turkey orders detention of 380 businessmen in Gulen investigation: : Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 380 businessmen accused of providing financial support to the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating July's failed coup

Fact or fiction?; Scores of Saudi Soldiers Killed in Yemeni Missile Attack Some 150 Saudi troops were killed or injured in the Thursday attack in the Bab el-Mandeb region, Lebanon’s al-Ahed news website reported.

Yemeni forces kill 8 soldiers loyal to Saudi Arabia: Three of the soldiers killed was in the Tabat al-Zabreh area of Saudi Arabia's southern Jizan region. In the Tabat al-Ghomameh area in the same region, a Saudi soldier was killed when Yemeni forces launched an offensive on a military outpost.

3 Yemen soldiers killed in clashes with Al-Qaeda: At least three soldiers were killed in clashes with Al-Qaeda militants in southern Yemen in an operation launched by the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, security sources said.

Senators Threaten to Cut Worldwide Embassy Security If U.S. Doesn’t Move Its Israeli Embassy to Jerusalem; A trio of GOP senators have introduced legislation that would cut security, construction, and maintenance funds for U.S. embassies around the world in half until the president moves the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Jordan Says Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem Is 'Red Line': Jordan's government spokesman warned on Thursday of "catastrophic" repercussions if President-elect Donald Trump makes good on a campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem.

‘Billionaire gave Netanyahus cigars, champagne worth hundreds of thousands’: A corruption investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly addressing suspicions the premier and his wife illicitly accepted many thousands’ worth of cigars and champagne from a Hollywood billionaire.

Two Moroccan troops killed in Central Africa convoy attack: United Nations: Two Moroccan peacekeepers died after gunmen attacked their convoy in the Central African Republic's remote southeast, the UN mission has said.

DR Congo militia clash with police after leader's death, one killed: "On Wednesday morning, nearly 200 supporters of the chief Kamwina Nsapu penetrated and took control of the city of Tshimbulu after killing a police officer," a witness and member of the Catholic clergy told AFP

19 militants killed in Afghanistan: “In one operation, the Afghan air force struck the enemies’ positions, killing five Taliban militants and destroyed two vehicles in Maruf district, southern Kandahar province,” Xinhua news agency said

Afghanistan veteran, three family members found shot dead in N.S. home: Upper Big Tracadie community in “shock” after family — including a 10-year-old girl — was found dead in home.

Top US senators vow to CRUSH Russia ; VLADIMIR Putin has been warned he is doomed to failure in Ukraine and that 2017 will be a year of anti-Russian aggression.

DNI Chief Clapper Takes Swipe at Trump, Assange as He Defends Russia Hack Intel: Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia had stepped up its cyber espionage operations, but stopped short of declaring the Russian election hacking an "act of war"

Donald Trump Plans Revamp of Top U.S. Spy Agency: Trump is working with top advisers on a plan that would restructure and pare back the nation’s top spy agency, people familiar with the planning said.

Trump camp denies report he plans to cut CIA staff and 'restructure' agency : There's 'no truth' to a news report describing a plan by the president-elect to downsize the CIA's headquarters and 'restructure' America's intelligence agencies in order to de-politicize them.

Trump voices new doubts about Russian efforts to sway U.S. vote; Trump also quoted Assange as telling Fox News that U.S. media coverage of the matter was "very dishonest."

Assange, Wikileaks Have Put Intel Officers in Danger: Clapper; Video -When asked about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says, “I don’t think those of us in the intelligence community have a whole lot of respect for him.”

Clapper: RT reporting on US problems part of 'multifaceted' Russian campaign to undermine elections : “RT was very active in promoting a particular point of view, disparaging our system, our alleged hypocrisy about human rights, etc. "

California congressman says he plans to lead delegation to Russia; Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has told the Washington Post he's planning a trip to Russia with a congressional delegation next month to discuss “how we can work with the Duma.”

French Presidency's Kill List Claimed 40 Lives: New Book; A new book alleges that President Hollande ordered intelligence services to kill at least 40 people suspected of jihadism.

Swedish prosecutors receive Assange interrogation report : Sweden said that before announcing a decision on the inquiry into allegations against Assange, the report needs to first be translated from Spanish, which is expected to take a number of week

Mexico Gas Hike Looting, Blockades Leave 1 Dead, 250 Arrested: Pemex has denounced blockades on roads that give access to fuel storage terminals and has warned that if the situation continues, it could trigger a crisis of shortages and aggravate the problem.

Peña Nieto Seeks Understanding, Gets More Looting in Gasolinazo: Peña Nieto had promised to lower gas prices in his campaign, but they have kept rising since he took office. The price of oil rose Sunday by as high as 20.1 percent to 88 cents per liter

Mexico tries to cut a deal with Trump: Mr Videgaray’s appointment is Mexico’s first step in playing transactional politics with the incoming president, analysts said, and comes as Mexico braces for Mr Trump’s threats of high tariffs, immigrant deportations and the end of the NAFTA

Trump Says ‘No Way’ to Toyota Plant in Mexico: Donald Trump in a tweet Thursday criticized Toyota’s plans to build a $1 billion plant in Mexico and threatened a tax on imported Corollas

Trump selects former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats for DNI: Donald Trump has picked former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to be director of national intelligence, CBS News’ Arden Farhi reports, citing a senior transition official.

All signs point to a corporate takeover of the marijuana industry: Scott’s Miracle-Gro CEO, Jim Hagadorn, stated his intentions to spend up to $500 million to completely buy out the marijuana industry.

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Bush/Blair legacy continues; UN: At least 6,878 civilians killed in Iraq violence in 2016: UNAMI said in a statement that 12,388 other civilians were wounded in 2016. It added that last year figures didn’t include casualties among civilians in Iraq’s western Anbar province for the months of May, July, August and December.

Iraqi forces storm 3 districts in eastern Mosul, kill 50 militants: The army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces are currently engaged in violent fights with IS militants in the district, saying that the area could be fully recaptured within hours

Syria: Air strikes kill 25 jihadists in Idlib province: Russia and Turkey say the group is not included in a ceasefire deal in Syria

Turkish military says 18 Islamic State militants killed in clashes in Syria; The army said its warplanes destroyed four Islamic State targets and Russian aircraft hit jihadists in Dayr Kak, 8 km (5 miles) southwest of the Islamic State-controlled town of al-Bab.

Syria rebels freeze negotiations, saying truce violated: Sources told Al Jazeera the groups were freezing their participation in negotiations being prepared by Russia due to a government-led assault on Wadi Barada, a rebel-held area near Damascus that is key to the capital's water supply.

Bombing, air strikes kill 25 in Yemen: Eleven civilians, including five members of one family, and 14 Huthi rebels have been killed in shelling and air strikes in Yemen in two days, military and rebel sources said Monday.

Clashes with rebels, Al-Qaeda kill 16 Yemeni soldiers: Sixteen Yemeni pro-government fighters were killed on Tuesday in separate clashes with Huthi rebels and Al-Qaeda fighters in the south of the war-torn country, military sources and officials said.

Fourteen detained over Istanbul nightclub massacre: MPs prepare to extend the state of emergency

Israeli officials back shoot-to-kill policy of Palestinian suspects, says Human Rights Watch: Leading Israeli officials have been encouraging soldiers and police officers to kill Palestinians suspected of attacks regardless of whether lethal force is necessary.

Report: Israeli military turns blind eye to attacks on Palestinians: An Israeli advocacy group on Tuesday criticized what it called an "exceptionally low" prosecution rate by the Israeli military in cases of violence committed by soldiers against Palestinians.

Bolton to Trump: Cut aid to UN settlement resolution supporters : Former US ambassador reportedly says that the US should cut funding to Malaysia and Venezuela in particular.

Trump advisers want Netanyahu to attend inauguration: “There’s a plan for Trump to meet with Netanyahu,” the source said. “They’re talking all the time. And Netanyahu is talking about possibly going to the inauguration.”

Police question Netanyahu as part of corruption probe; Police have grilled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for three hours on suspicion of receiving gifts from businessmen, as part of a corruption probe that has shaken the country's politics.

Almost famous: Israel recruits D-list celebrities to counter BDS: Why should the Israeli government pay for flights and stays of Hollywood actors in order to combat the boycott movement?

One killed as Haftar’s forces bomb Jufra airbase : Haftar is widening his forces’ operations out of Benghazi and is eying to have control of all airbases in the southern and central regions so that his attacks on the western city become easy.

Clashes kill 6 security men in NE Afghanistan: At least six security personnel have been killed and 15 others including two civilians were injured during a clash with Taliban rebels in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province, said officials on Tuesday.

Nobel laureates call on UN to end Rohingya crisis in Myanmar: More than a dozen Nobel laureates have urged the United Nations to "end the human crisis" of Myanmar's Rohingya minority group, whose members have been fleeing the country to escape a bloody military crackdown.

Assange To Hannity: Source For WikiLeaks Was Not Russian Government: Video: We have said, repeatedly that over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.

Washington Post Admits Its 'Russians Hacked A US Utility' Story Was 'Fake News'": Within hours of reporting that the "Russian hackers" had gained access to the electrical grid, the Burlington Electric Department in Vermont had to issue a statement confirming that the provocative Wapo story simply wasn't true

UK envoy to EU quits ahead of Brexit talks: His resignation comes less than a month after he reportedly said that post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU could take up to 10 years.

Riot at Italian refugee center: Migrants start fires & staff held hostage over woman’s death

Ford cancels Mexico plant. Will create 700 U.S. jobs in 'vote of confidence' in Trump

Trump assails GM over car production in Mexico, threatens tax: General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!" Trump said in a post on Twitter.

Dollar, stocks up on upbeat data; oil falls: The U.S. dollar touched a 14-year high boosted by strong data, while upbeat figures out of China and Europe lifted debt yields and major stock markets got off to a higher start in the new year.

Trump team seeks agency records on border barriers, surveillance: He team also asked about the department's capacity for expanding immigrant detention and about an aerial surveillance program that was scaled back by the Obama administration

NY gov proposes free tuition for public colleges: According to The New York Times, any student who has been accepted to a public university in New York will be eligible for free tuition if their family earns $125,000 or less a year.

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Turkey, Russia airstrikes destroy Daesh targets in al-Bab, 22 killed: Twenty-two Daesh terrorists have been killed in the north Syrian cities of al-Bab, Bzagah and Tadif in the last 24 hours as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield, Turkish military said

Airstrike kills at least 8 jihadi militants in Syria: An air raid has struck several cars in northwestern Syria, killing at least eight people, including al-Qaida-linked fighters and a senior commander with a Chinese Islamic militant faction

Russian forces prepare to retake Syrian city of Palmyra from ISIS: FOOTAGE of Russian soldiers deployed near an ISIS-controlled area in Syria has been released as Vladimir Putin’s forces prepare to eradicate the brutal terror network from Palmyra.

Baghdad suicide car bomb blast kills 35; Sixty-one other people were injured by the blast in the predominantly Shia Muslim eastern district of Sadr City. Another car bomb later exploded in the car park of the nearby Al-Kindi hospital, killing three people.

4 soldiers killed in ISIL attack in western Iraq: Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and five others injured in a suspected ISIL attack in Iraq’s western Anbar province, military sources said early Monday.

Iraq forces have retaken over 60% of east Mosul: commander: The eastern side of Mosul, which is split by the Tigris River, is the larger of the two, but more civilians live in the west, he said.

Bombing, air strikes kill 25 in Yemen; An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition hit yesterday a house in the province of Marib, east of the capital Sanaa, killing five members of the same family.

Saudi soldier killed by Houthi fire on Yemen border : The soldier was the third to have been killed by Houthi fire since last week

Yemen's children starve as war drags on; During the best of times, many Yemenis struggled to make ends meet. Now they can barely feed themselves.

Police suspect Netanyahu took gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels: If the evidence is true, it would mean Netanyahu heedlessly fell in the same hole that has swallowed his predecessor.

Istanbul nightclub gunman shooting at people caught on CCTV (GRAPHIC VIDEO) : A horrendous video has emerged online, showing an attacker armed with a rifle shooting directly at people at Istanbul’s Reina nightclub.

Gunman opens fire on an Istanbul mosque: Two people have been taken to hospital following the shooting at the Hasan Pasha Mosque in Algeria mosque in the north of the Turkish city.

3 killed as massive blast hits near Mogadishu airport: Police say three people killed after suicide bomber rammed car into a checkpoint close to city's international airport.

2 key ISIS commanders arrested, 10 killed in East of Afghanistan: Two top commanders of the loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were arrested and at least ten others were killed during the counter-terrorism operations in East of Afghanistan.

Duterte seeks 'strategic shift' from US to China: Envoy; The Philippines is tilting away from its traditional ally the United States towards China in a bid to "normalise" relations following a longstanding territorial dispute, the country's incoming ambassador to Beijing said today.

Plane carrying expelled Russian diplomats leaves US: Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard the plane flown specially from Russia, for a total of 96 passengers onboard.

War criminal: Senator McCain says U.S. 'must stand up to Vladimir Putin'; "We will strongly urge our colleagues toward more meaningful and stronger sanctions against Russia because of their attack on the United States of America," McCain told reporters in Georgia's capital Tbilisi.

Russia Sells $11 Billion Stake in Rosneft to Glencore, Qatar: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund agreed to buy a 10.2-billion euro ($11 billion) stake in Russia’s largest oil producer from the state in a triumph for President Vladimir Putin over sanctions imposed by the West.

Finland to pay unemployed basic income of $587 per month: Those 2,000 unemployed chosen will receive 560 euros every month, with no reporting requirements on how they spend it. The amount will be deducted from any benefits they already receive.

Dozens killed in Brazil prison riot: At least 50 killed in rebellion at Anisio Jobim penitentiary complex in Amazonas state, government says.

Zapatistas Celebrate 23 Years of Resistance, Forge New Strategy: The Zapatistas have announced plans to put forward an Indigenous woman candidate for Mexico's 2018 presidential elections, marking a break in strategy.

Jeremy Corbyn and Lopez Obrador Meet in Mexico: “We talked extensively about the beautiful dream of realizing a world government based on justice and fraternity,” the Mexican politician wrote.

The Guardian’s Summary of Julian Assange’s Interview Went Viral and Was Completely False: This article is about how those false claims — fabrications, really — were spread all over the internet by journalists, causing hundreds of thousands of people (if not millions) to consume false news.

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39 killed, 70 hurt in Turkey nightclub attack: A New Year's bash in an upscale club in Istanbul's Besiktas municipality turned into yet another bloodbath, with at least 39 revelers killed

Erdogan: Istanbul nightclub attack aims to create chaos: Attacker still at large. Of the 21 dead identified so far, 15 were foreigners. Nationals of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon and Libya were among those killed

Turkey Transferring Al-Qaeda Terrorists from Aleppo to Aden; Yemeni security sources disclosed that a Turkish plane has transferred tens of Al-Qaeda terrorists from Syria's Northern city of Aleppo to Yemen's Aden and evacuated wounded pro-Saudi militias to medical treatment centers outside the country

UN council backs Syria ceasefire move by Russia and Turkey; The UN security council has unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey to end the nearly six year conflict in Syria and jump-start peace negotiations.

Syrian rebels threaten to abandon truce if alleged violations continue: The deal, brokered during the week by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides, reduced the level of violence, but firefights, air strikes and shelling continued in some areas.

Baghdad blasts kill 25 as Mosul fighting intensifies; The blasts, including one suicide attack, tore through a busy market in the Sinak neighborhood, police said. A pro-ISIS news agency said the assailants had targeted Shiite Muslims, whom they regard as apostates.

ISIL attacks Iraqi police near Najaf, kills seven; Armed group claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 17 people including civilians.

Bahrain; One killed as armed men free inmates from Jau prison near Manama: Attackers of prison south of Manama kill one police officer and free prisoners held on terrorism charges, police say.

UN vote tops Wiesenthal list of top 10 antisemitic, anti-Israel cases in 2016: The US abstention from a recent vote against Israeli settlements at the UN Security Council topped the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s annual list released Tuesday of the 10 worst outbreaks of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel incidents.

10-year-old girl used as human bomb in Nigeria New Year's Eve attack; One person was seriously injured when a suicide bomber aged around 10 blew herself up in a New Year's Eve attack in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses and aid workers told AFP Sunday.

Killing of Hamas-linked drone expert in Tunisia draws public anger: Thousands gathered in on 24 December to protest the man’s murder and what some considered to be a tepid response from their government.

U.S. Special Operations Numbers Surge in Africa’s Shadow Wars: In 2016, 17.26% of all U.S. Special Operations forces — Navy SEALs and Green Berets among them — deployed abroad were sent to Africa

China would 'outlast' US in trade war: China would outlast the US in a trade war, which is a "distinct possibility" next year after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a commentator wrote in the $1 billion Pine River China Fund's investor letter.

China's CCTV launches global 'soft power' media network to extend influence: The new multilingual media cluster will have six TV channels, a video newsletter agency and a new media agency

South Koreans rally to demand ‘Park-free’ 2017: More than half a million South Koreans marked New Year’s Eve with a massive protest Saturday calling for the immediate arrest and ouster of impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

Washington Post Publishes False News Story About Russians Hacking Electrical Grid: his caused hysteria on social media but has been denied by a spokesman for a Vermont utility company.

War criminal: McCain visits frontline Ukraine troops in anti-Putin gesture: The senator, accompanied by fellow senators Lindsey Graham and Amy Klobuchar, posted photos on Twitter. In one, he is shown posing with troops in front of a Ukrainian flag.

Record number of refugees opt to leave Germany in 2016 | - Illegal Immigrants Receive €3,000 Each to Leave!

Theresa May's criticism of John Kerry Israel speech sparks blunt US reply: State department voices surprise after PM’s spokesman says US secretary of state’s comments on (illegal) settlements were ‘inappropriate’

Re-Energized Dollar Looms Over the Rest of the World: On Wall Street, the rising dollar has been one of the most visible signals of growing optimism in the U.S. economy; for many other countries, it spells trouble.

How A 6-Year-Old Got Locked On A Psych Ward : His parents said the boy had merely thrown a tantrum. But a hospital owned by America’s largest psychiatric chain, UHS, held him for three days — and filed a court petition to keep him even longer.

FBI/DHS Joint Analysis Report: A Fatally Flawed Effort: The FBI/DHS Joint Analysis Report (JAR) “Grizzly Steppe” was released yesterday as part of the White House’s response to alleged Russian government interference in the 2016 election process. It adds nothing to the call for evidence

'This is borderline treasonous': Liberal activists turned to Twitter to suggest President-elect Donald Trump was nearing the line of treason with his Friday praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In 2017, GOP Congress sees mandate to undo Obama's agenda: GOP lawmakers plan to open the 115th Congress on Tuesday and immediately take steps to repeal Obama's health care law. Beyond that, they'll look at a tax overhaul, reversing Obama-era environmental regulations

The public is being kept in the dark about Trump’s deal with Carrier : The state of Indiana, where the affected jobs are located, agreed to give Carrier up to $7 million in tax credits over 10 years to keep the facility open.

Trump Is Truly Cheap, and His Charity a 'Facade': News Analysis - The last verified donation was to the Police Athletic League of New York City in 2009 for just under $10,000.