Russian Missiles Aimed at Syria Crashed in Iran, U.S. Officials Say by HELENE COOPER
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American officials said some of the cruise missiles fired from Russian warships in the Caspian Say fell in a rural area of Iran, and did not reach targets in Syria.
On Russian TV -- breathtaking video of missiles launched from Russian ships in the Caspian Sea, streaking into the night sky, racing almost a thousand miles to their targets in Syria, exploding, the reporter boasts, no more than nine feet from their targets.
Four Russian cruise missiles fired at Syria from the Caspian Sea landed on Iran, unnamed US officials say
The commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan said he expects to have preliminary results from an investigation into the strike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in about 30 days.
Portuguese authorities have detained a former CIA operative on a warrant stemming from her 2009 conviction in Italy in the kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric.
Harry Reid is claiming more than $50,000 in damages after he suffered a loss of vision and fractured ribs in an exercise accident.
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The US defense secretary criticized what he deems ‘increasingly unprofessional behavior from Russian forces’ in Syria at the Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday. Carter warned there will be consequences for Russia for its escalating military intervention in Syria
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Russia will face the consequences of its actions in Syria, says US defence secretary Ash Carter as troops try to secure the president's western heartland
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Syria Rebels Repel Ground Assault, Call for US Helpby webdesk@voanews.com (Jamie Dettmer)
Rebels with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Wednesday repelled an offensive by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in central Syria, destroying 10 government tanks despite repeated fire from a Russian air assault, their leaders claim. The FSA leaders say frontline militias fending off Syrian government ground offensives in the countryside near Hama need more U.S. assistance. They are critical of what they claim is a reversal in American policy to establish a safe haven in the northern...
From Central America, thousands of children fleeing poverty and danger make multiple attempts to reach the United States despite increased efforts by Mexico to turn them back.
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 NBCNews.com |
One of Americans Who Stopped Train Attack in France Stabbed in California
ABC News One of the three Americans who helped stop a terrorist attack on a train this August in France has been stabbed and is in stable condition, a defense department official confirmed to ABC News. Spencer Stone was reportedly attacked overnight in ... French Train Attack Hero Spencer Stone Stabbed in CaliforniaPeople Magazine Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone stabbed in chestAirForceTimes.com NBC News: Hometown hero stabbed multiple times in SacramentoKCRA Sacramento all 18 news articles » |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Islamic State militant group has overtaken al Qaeda as leader of the global violent extremist movement and has access to a large pool of potential recruits in Western countries, U.S. national counter terrorism center chief Nick Rasmussen said on Thursday.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia fired cruise missiles at Syrian targets this week without giving any advanced notice, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday, describing a trend of unpredictable military action that has put the United States and its allies on edge.
(Reuters) - Disarray within the Taliban leadership could delay peace talks with the Afghan government for a few months, but up to 70 percent of the militant group may ultimately be reconciled with Kabul, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan predicted on Thursday.
PASSAU, Germany (Reuters) - Europe needs to work to improve its relationship with Russia, and things cannot be allowed to continue as they are now, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday.
NATO Chief Cites 'Troubling Escalation' Of Russian Activity In Syria by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
NATO’s chief has warned of a "troubling escalation" of Russian military activity in Syria аs Damascusannounced a wide-ranging ground offensive backed by more Russian air strikes.
Several U.S. officials are quoted as saying four of the long-range cruise missiles that Russia fired at Syrian targets on October 7 crashed in Iran.
A Syrian civil defense demining unit collected unexploded cluster bombs on Thursday that activists said had been fired a day earlier by Russian aircraft in Idlib Province.
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Today’s U.S. military is shrinking and using older equipment as troops face more deployments and emboldened adversaries abroad, according to a new report that lays out a plan to revitalize American defenses.
The new report from the American Enterprise Institute said that “America’s military power has been declining ever since the first wave of cuts in the aftermath of the Cold War.” The Army has dwindled from a size of 535,000 troops in 1991 to 450,000 during the Obama administration, for example, and the U.S. Naval fleet now has 282 ships compared with 451 at the end of the Cold War.
This smaller military has repeatedly been deployed in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving a force that “has been battle tested, but it is also battle tired,” the report said. U.S. forces still use fighter jets, submarines, tanks, and other equipment that were largely purchased by the Reagan administration in the 1980s despite a modest defense buildup after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The military procured 2,083 tanks, artillery, and other armored vehicles between 1975 and 1990, compared with just 334 in the 15 years after the end of the Cold War. The Pentagon’s acquisition of fighter and attack aircraft declined from 349 to 68 during the same period.
“Because the platforms carrying the military into war in Afghanistan and Iraq were largely bought in the late 1970s and 1980s, their sustained use in those conflicts meant that more had to be spent to keep them repaired and ready for combat,” the report said. “As a result, from 2001 to 2009, the percentage increase in the Pentagon’s operations and maintenance account topped 50 percent, reducing the availability of funds that might have been spent on recapitalizing the military.”
“Since 1945, the one constant of international politics has been the military power of the United States,” the report said. “Our next commander-in-chief must rebuild America’s military power.”
The report recommends a goal of spending at least 4 percent of U.S. GDP on defense in order to bolster the military and deter adversaries. That would require Congress to repeal the 2013 sequestration agreement, under which automatic budgets are on pace to reduce about $1 trillion from the defense budget in the coming years.
U.S. defense spending would shrink to 2.6 percent of GDP by 2019 under the spending caps currently in place.
The extra spending would help prepare the military to push back against a number of adversaries that have strengthened since the end of the Cold War, when America began to drawdown its defenses.
In just the last few years, China has raised tensions in the Asia-Pacific by constructing artificial islands with military facilities in the South China Sea, Russia has directly challenged NATO by invading two potential members in Eastern Europe, a new terrorist group in the Islamic State has seized territory in Iraq and Syria, and Iran has expanded its support for anti-American proxies in the Middle East.
With a larger and more capable military, the United States could address all of those aggressors with a “three-theater force construct,” the report said. The think tank envisions at least two brigade combat teams in Poland to deter Russia along with regular exercises in the Baltics, as well as two aircraft carrier strike groups in East Asia and more joint bases with allies amid Chinese provocations.
In the Middle East, where the report says that conditions have become “remarkably less favorable” since the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, the next administration might need to send 25,000 to 50,000 troops to roll back the Islamic State and Iranian influence, and stabilize U.S. allies.
“As in 1979, what is required now will be a renewed U.S. engagement and a recommitment of American forces—one that eschews the temptation to see battlefield successes as the ‘mission accomplished’—for a sustained effort to again create a balance that secures American interests,” the report said.
Yet before the military can add more troops, provide them with more training and equipment, and deploy them around the globe, political compromises must be made in Washington. Defense policy has now become ensnared in the annual spending fight, with President Obama threatening to vetothe national defense bill unless Republicans agree to spend more on domestic programs.
Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.), a prominent lawmaker on defense issues, said on Tuesday that a veto would delay the acquisition of several vital ship and plane programs for the military.
“The impact of vetoing that bill, which may very well happen within weeks, is we’ll lose three destroyers, two attack subs, three littoral combat ships, an amphibious ship, and we’ll delay the Air Force bomber program, and the Air Force tanker program,” he said. “And you have to say, what kind of image is that putting around the globe?”
The post How to Rebuild a Shrinking, Aging American Military appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
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BBC News |
Webcam hacker spied on sex acts
BBC News Webcam hacker spied on sex acts with BlackShades malware. By Chris Baraniuk Technology reporter ... The hacker had used his ex-girlfriend's details to purchase BlackShades, a remote access trojan (RAT) which allows for a high level of surreptitious ... Webcam hacker spied on sex acts with BlackShades malwareBBC News Cyber pervert hacked unsuspecting victims' webcams and watched them having sexTelegraph.co.uk all 38 news articles » |
Future of United States to 2025 by Glynn Cosker
With our nation's endless ability to reinvent itself and seize opportunities of the future, the next 10 years should usher in dramatic changes.
The post Future of United States to 2025 appeared first on In Homeland Security.
Senior U.S. lawmakers, tired of being blindsided by Russia, have begun probing possible intelligence lapses over Moscow's military intervention in Syria.
Lawmakers are concerned that spy agencies were too slow to grasp the scope and intention of Russia's military buildup in the region. Now the Senate and House intelligence committees ...
Thirty-three people are still unaccounted for five days after the deadly U.S. bombing of a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Afghanistan, the medical charity organization said Thursday.
Guilhem Molinie, the charity organization's representative in Afghanistan, told reporters that 24 staff members and nine patients are still missing, NBC ...
NATO's secretary general said he is prepared to send ground forces to Turkey.
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FBI Releases Data Showing Record Number Of September Gun Sales
Daily Caller The FBI released data showing a record number of people across the country applied for background checks in the month of September, revealing gun sales were at an all time high. According to the new data, 1,795,102 prospective gun owners were ... and more » |
The Secretary of the Air Force has new authorities over military space.
FBI: Dozens in US in Secret Conversations With ISIS
NBCNews.com FBI Director James Comey says dozens of people in the U.S. are using encryption software to communicate with ISIS supporters. At a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the terror threat on Thursday, Comey repeated ... Statement Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental ...Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) all 2 news articles » |
BRUSSELS (AP) - NATO is leaving the door open for a larger security force in Afghanistan than initially planned after 2016, but officials said Thursday the alliance is waiting for the U.S. to announce its decision, which could come as soon as next week.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he ...
The Air Force serviceman who helped foil a terrorist plot on a French train this summer was repeatedly stabbed early Thursday morning.
According to the Air Force Times, Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone is being treated at a hospital in the Sacramento area after being stabbed four times in the chest.
“A1C Spencer Stone has been transported to a local hospital, and is currently being treated for injury,” Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Karns said. “The incident is currently under investigation by local law enforcement. He is currently in stable condition.”
CBS News reported on Twitter that Stone was in critical condition.
According to a local television station, a stabbing occurred at approximately 12:45 A.M. on a street corner in Sacramento. The TV outlet did not name Stone as the victim in its report but said police did not think the victim would survive the attack. Authorities are investigating the incident as a homicide and maintain that the victim has not been identified.
Stone was one of the three Americans who subdued an armed terrorist aboard a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris in August. The 26-year-old Air Force member was wounded with a knife while foiling the terror plot and sent to the hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.
Stone, National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and Sacramento State University student Anthony Sadler all receivedFrance’s Legion of Honour award for their heroic actions.
The post Hero Serviceman Spencer Stone Stabbed Repeatedly in Chest, Hospitalized appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
TIME |
FBI Head Calls Lack of Data on Police Shootings 'Embarrassing'
TIME James Comey Cliff Owen—AP FBI Director James Comey discusses race and law enforcement on Feb. 12, 2015 at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.. “It's ridiculous — it's embarrassing and ridiculous". The director of the Federal Bureau of ... FBI: Dozens in US in Secret Conversations With ISISNBCNews.com FBI says it 'disrupted' dozens of potential militantsReuters FBI Admits Lack of Data on Police Shootings is "Embarrassing", "Ridiculous"AlterNet Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) -ABC News -The Guardian all 26 news articles » |
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Following the NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter condemned Russia’s actions in Syria
 Wall Street Journal |
Former CIA operative wanted by Italians is detained in Lisbon
Los Angeles Times A former CIA operative convicted of the kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric as part of the extraordinary renditions program has been detained in Portugal and is awaiting a decision on whether she will be turned over to Italy to serve her six-year sentence ... Italian prosecutor says ex-US diplomat convicted in CIA kidnapping detained in ...Fox News Ex-CIA Agent Detained in Portugal Over 2009 Kidnapping Conviction in ItalyWall Street Journal Italian prosecutor: Ex-US diplomat convicted over CIA kidnapping plot detained ...Washington Post all 40 news articles » |
Daily Mail |
Russia's 'proof' that ISIS are using civilians as human shields in Syria ...
Daily Mail Russia said the trucks must belong to ISIS because moderates would 'not use the peaceful population as a human shield'. It claimed these actions were 'the signature of terrorism' and claimed the terror group was ready to blow up mosques to discredit ... ISIS in Syria using mosques as shelters, civilians as shields – Russian ...RT all 17 news articles » |
New York Times |
Russian bombs in Syria killing fragile hopes for diplomacy far beyond
Washington Post Russia's military offensive in Syria is only a week old, but the casualties for American foreign policy are already mounting. Gone is any slim hope President Obama might once have had about gradually improving relations with Iran, whose military envoys ... NATO, Alarmed by Russian Actions in Syria, Shores Up DefensesNew York Times Syria crisis: Russia's strategy and endgame?BBC News Russia-backed Syrian troops mount major offensiveUSA TODAY NPR all 10,842 news articles » |
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Эксперты Bellingcat выпустили итоговый отчет о крушении Boeing в Донбассе
OnAir.ru Независимая экспертная группа Bellingcat в четверг опубликовала полную версию доклада по расследованию крушения Boeing в Донбассе. Авторы доклада пришли к выводу, что 17 июля 2014 года самолет «Малайзийских авиалиний» был сбит из зенитно-ракетного комплекса «Бук» ... Введение Ракетная установка «Бук» - BellingcatBellingcat «Нам удалось установить личности тех, кто мог транспортировать Бук» - ДождьДождь Все похожие статьи: 81 » |
Russia has found another person guilty of espionage by providing confidential information to Ukrainian officials.
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As Russia escalates its air-strikes in Syria, the Foreign Office has robust exchange of views with Russian embassy on Twitter
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Israel Says Facebook, YouTube Spur Attacksby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Israel said Thursday it had asked Facebook and YouTube to remove videos it says have been encouraging Palestinian violence against Israelis in the past week. Four Israelis have been killed in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank in the past week, and two Palestinians have been shot dead and scores injured in clashes with security services. Three suspected Palestinian assailants have been killed by police. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, providing an excerpt from a letter sent to Google Israel, whose parent company owns YouTube, said contact also had been made with Facebook. "The videos depict recent terror attacks, praise the assailants and present Jews and Israelis in a hateful and racist manner, and since their publishing, three more attacks have taken place so far," the letter said. Representatives of Facebook and Google Inc. said they could not comment on specific videos or contacts with governments. "YouTube has clear policies that prohibit content like gratuitous violence, hate speech and incitement to commit violent acts, and we remove videos violating these policies when flagged by our users," said Google spokesman Paul Solomon. Videos cited The letter to Google included two YouTube video links, one of which has already been removed. In one clip, archived on an Israeli news site, a song in Arabic-accented Hebrew calls for the killing of "Zionists" while another is an animation of the drive-by shooting of an Israeli couple killed in the West Bank a week ago. Asked about the Israeli appeal, a Facebook spokeswoman said: "We want people to feel safe when using Facebook. There is no place for content encouraging violence, direct threats, terrorism or hate speech on Facebook." The spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Facebook had received complaints about anti-Arab postings. But she said Facebook, as a rule, urged people "to use our reporting tools if they find content that they believe violates our standards so we can investigate and take swift action." Social media sites often flare up when Israeli-Palestinian violence rises, such as the 2014 Israel-Gaza war, with fiery debates between users and sometimes even officials or fighters on either side, spreading across digital platforms. A comment posted this week on the Facebook page of a prominent far-right Israeli settler activist called for people to use clubs to beat Arabs in Jerusalem's Old City, where two Israelis were stabbed to death.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance has renewed assurances to defend "all allies against any threat," amid new tensions with Russia over its aerial campaign in Syria.
This video explores why Russia is supporting President Bashar al-Assad through its bombing campaign in Syria
The Iran nuclear deal showed the EU can act with one voice. It needs to do so again, right now – or face consequences that are unthinkable
Commentators are right to highlight the potentially devastating effects of an escalating proxy war in Syria. As each day passes, the situation seems to become increasingly fractious, muddied and perilous.
Jihadi rebels are now forming a pact “against Russian occupation”, while foreign fighters continue to flood into Syria to fight for Islamic State, a terrorist organisation that continues to promote atrocities against Europe and the US alike.
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С авиабазы Хмеймим экипажи Су-34, Су-24М и Су-25 совершили 22 боевых вылета, в ходе которых нанесли удары по 27 объектам террористов на территории Сирии.
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Putin's campaign to derail the west over Syria is working – for now by Julian Borger Diplomatic editor
The firing of cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea is the latest testimony to Putin’s grasp over Nato, but domestic appetite for war will soon dwindle
If Vladimir Putin’s game plan has been repeatedly to surprise the west and keep it off balance, it is working.
Just like their leaders at the UN general assembly last week, Nato’s defence ministers gathering in Brussels on Thursday have found themselves scrambling to come up with a response to the latest Russian move – in this case, the firing of cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea in yet another escalation of the war in Syria.
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 CNBC |
Boone Pickens: Russia 'new sheriff' in Mideast
CNBC The new military involvement by Russia in Syria could force OPEC's largest oil member to finally capitulate on production cuts, energy entrepreneur Boone Pickens said Thursday. Such a move could rescue battered crude prices, which have lost half their ... and more » |
US Hero in French Train Attack Stabbed in Californiaby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Spencer Stone, one of three Americans who’d overpowered an armed terror suspect on a French train in August, is in stable condition after he was "repeatedly stabbed" Wednesday night in Sacramento, California, a U.S. Air Force official tells VOA. Air Force public affairs officer Rose Richeson says the the Airman 1st Class, stationed at nearby Travis Air Force Base, was transported to a local hospital where he is still being treated. Richeson said the incident is under investigation and that the Air Force is unclear at this point on whether the stabbing was done by one suspect or multiple suspects. Stone had been stabbed in the torso during a fight near popular bars in the California capital’s downtown area, police told NBC affiliate KCRA. That station reported homicide detectives had been called to the scene. French train incident Stone, 25, and his two friends won acclaim for tackling and subduing Ayoub El-Khazzani after the Moroccan-born man – armed with an AK-47 and Luger pistol – opened fire on a French train as it sped through Belgium on August 21. It carried 554 people. The man slashed at Stone with a box cutter, stabbing him in the neck and nearly severing his left thumb, which had to be reattached. Stone led the charge and was joined by National Guard specialist Alex Skarlatos and civilian Anthony Sadler. The three, who’d grown up together in Sacramento, were on vacation. The suspect was taken into custody. French authorities have charged him with attempted murder, weapons possession and conspiracy. "He seemed ready to fight to the end, and so were we," Stone said of the suspect, during a news conference from the U.S. Embassy in Paris in August. The three friends were honored at a Pentagon ceremony September 17 at which Defense Secretary Ash Carter presented Stone with a Purple Heart military medal for his bravery. The Sacramento Bee reported the airman also would be promoted to staff sergeant, effective in November. All three friends had been presented with France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report
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Russia will pay price for Syrian airstrikes, says US defence secretary by Julian Borger Diplomatic Editor
Ashton Carter predicts reprisal attacks on Russian soil after Vladimir Putin’s military campaign to prop up Bashar al-Assad’s regime
Moscow will soon start paying the price for its escalating military intervention in Syria in the form of reprisal attacks and casualties, the US defence secretary has warned.
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Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the United States has asked NATO allies to “remain flexible” as the alliance reviews its plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Russian Volunteers For Syria Are Recruited – And Trolled – Online by support@pangea-cms.com (Anna Shamanska)
Few Russians are actively looking for ways to go fight in Syria on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, but they are trolled online nonetheless.
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The air and ground attacks on coastal mountains, reported by insurgents and a monitoring organization, targeted various groups in addition to ISIS.
Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news.
IRAQ and SYRIA
Syria’s army has extended a major offensive to reclaim territory in the west of the country today, supported by Russian air strikes and cruise missiles. [Reuters’ Sylvia Westall and Tom Perry]
The US has ruled out strategic cooperation with Russiain the Middle East and has drawn attention to the buildup of Russian ground troops along with heavy weaponry in Syria. [Wall Street Journal’s Julian E. Barnes at al] The refusal was paired with a semantic change, Defense Secretary Ash Carter using the phrase “basic technical discussions” in place of the term “deconfliction” used earlier to describe US-Russian relations in Syria, reports Helene Cooper. [New York Times]
Over 90% of Russian airstrikes so far in Syria have not targeted the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda linked jihadists, the State Department said yesterday. [AFP]
NATO will consider the “troubling escalation of Russian military activities” in Syria, the bloc’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of talks in Brussels. [BBC] Stoltenberg also said that NATO is prepared to send troops to defend Turkey following violations of its airspace by Russian aircraft. [Reuters]
NATO ought to put more pressure on Russia to use its influence to stop the Assad regime targeting civilians, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said yesterday. [Wall Street Journal’s Nicholas Winning]
Russian intervention in Syria may force Obama’s hand on the war there, pushing him to either act or yield. Karen DeYoung provides the details at the Washington Post.
Russia’s involvement in Syria demonstrates the success of the US policy there, according to the US special envoy to Syria, comments which “shocked” the Syrian-American advocates he was speaking to on Monday. [The Daily Beast’s Tim Mak and Nancy A. Youssef]
Lawmakers have begun looking into possible intelligence lapses over Russia’s intervention in Syria amid concerns that US spy agencies were slow to comprehend the extent of Moscow’s military offensive there, congressional sources say. [Reuters’ Mark Hosenball et al]
Iraqi security forces have retaken a number of areas to the north and west of Ramadi from the Islamic State, as the operation to reclaim the Anbar provincial capital gained in intensity. [Al Jazeera]
A network of Muslim religious leaders has launched an online magazine to counter the “poisonous” propaganda pushed by the Islamic State. [The Guardian’s Alexandra Topping]
Yazidi Iraqis feel abandoned by Washington and the international community, one of two Yazidi members of the Iraqi parliament, Vian Dakhil explained in an interview with Politico. [Politico’s Eliza Collins]
Video footage purporting to show Russian cruise missile strikes on Syria is available here.
President Putin is playing the same strategy as in Ukraine, keeping the West guessing about his intentions in Syria, report James Marson and Nathan Hodge. [Wall Street Journal]
The Economist considers the difficult situation facing Syrian opposition groups, worsened by Russian intervention.
AFGHANISTAN
President Obama apologized to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International President Dr. Joanne Liu during a phone call yesterday, expressing his condolences for the MSF staff and patients who died following a US military airstrike on the hospital. The President also spoke with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, commending the bravery of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and expressing his condolences for the Afghan civilians killed in the strike. Read out of statements available here.
The apology marked a reversal in the White House position; a day earlier press secretary Josh Earnest said the US wouldn’t formally apologize until investigations were further along. [Wall Street Journal’s Carol E. Lee and Felicia Schwartz]
Direct presidential apologies for US actions overseas are rare, report Michael D. Shear and Somini Sengupta, adding that in a “terse statement” following the phone call, the head of MSF acknowledged the president’s apology had been “received.” [New York Times]
“A religious-like belief in American exceptionalism and tribal superiority is potent indeed, and easily overrides evidence.” Glenn Greenwald considers why the US is reluctant to permit an independent investigation into the strikes. [The Intercept]
“A short history of US bombing of civilian facilities,” from Jon Schwarz at The Intercept.
Frustrations and concerns over Kunduz province existed long before the Taliban offensive on the city in recent weeks; Alissa J. Rubin provides the details. [New York Times]
ISRAEL and PALESTINE
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forced to cancel a scheduled visit to Germany amid ongoing violence between Palestinians and Israelis. [The Guardian’s Peter Beaumont]
A Jewish man has been stabbed in Jerusalem, the fourth stabbing incident in 24 hours. [Haaretz’s Nir Hasson] Rock throwing, highway ambushes and clashes with IDF soldiers continued for a sixth day yesterday in Jerusalem and the West Bank. [Washington Post’s William Booth]
Israeli ministers and Knesset members have been barred from visiting the Temple Mount by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ban applying to Jewish and Arab representatives alike. [Haaretz’s Barak Ravid]
“Violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories,” the Guardian briefing from Peter Beaumont.
YEMEN
A Saudi-coalition airstrike hit a wedding party at a house south of Sana’a yesterday, killing at least 23 people. [New York Times’ Shuaib Almosawa and Kareem Fahim] The wedding party was hosted by a tribal leader known to support Shi’ite Houthi rebels. [BBC]
The UN special envoy to Yemen welcomed statements from the Houthi rebel group reaffirming their commitment to a UN Security Council resolution aimed at bringing to an end the country’s month’s long conflict. [UN News Centre]
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has prohibited further direct negotiations with the United States, suggesting America would use such talks to undermine the Islamic Republic. [Wall Street Journal’s Aresu Eqbali and Asa Fitch]
Two female suicide bombers hit a mosque in northeast Nigeria yesterday, killing 15 people including themselves. Separately, Boko Haram attacked a military camp in Yobe state but was pushed back by troops who killed at least 100 militants. [AP]
The UN does not have the mandate or power to investigate allegations of bribery against a former president of the General Assembly, sparking criticism that the global body is not doing enough to root-out corruption. [Wall Street Journal’s Farnaz Fassihi and Christopher M. Matthews]
Senator John McCain blamed the Obama administration for Guantánamo Bay restrictions contained in the annual defense bill, accusing the White House of failing to provide a plan for closing the facility. [The Hill’s Jordain Carney] Deb Riechmann goes through some of the provisions contained in the $612 billion defense policy bill, at the AP.
British forces will be stationed in Baltic states to bolster NATO’s eastern frontiers and deter Russian aggression, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said. [The Guardian’s Frances Perraudin]
North Korea has the nuclear capabilities to launch an attack on the US homeland, according to a high-level US military official, who added that the US is prepared to defend against any such attack. [Reuters]
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