The Kremlin has given an initial response to Egypt's announcement this morning that its preliminary report into the Russian passenger plane crash that killed all 224 people on board had not found any signs of terrorism.
"The only thing [I can say] is to note the conclusion of our experts from our respective intelligence services, who concluded that this was a terrorist act," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters this morning.
The IS group claimed responsibility for the October 31 crash of the Russian flight A321 over Egypt's Sinai peninsula, saying that it had placed a bomb on board.
An Australian teenager has pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Children's Court to preparing for a terrorist act.
Police seized a computer from the boy's home in May which contained encrypted documents entitled "Pressure Cooker Backpack Bomb with Switch Detonator" and "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said.
The BBC has more on the reports earlier this morning that a teacher had been attacked in Paris by a man citing the IS group.
Police sources told the BBC that the teacher was stabbed in the side and throat at 07.30 GMT this morning as he was in his classroom preparing for lessons in Aubervilliers, a Paris suburb. The teacher's life is not in danger.
The attacker who reportedly wore a balaclava and gloves shouted, "It's Daesh (IS), it's a warning," before stabbing the teacher with box cutters or scissors. The man is still on the run.
Russia has reiterated its claims that it is supporting the Free Syrian Army in Syria.
But are these claims true and if so which groups is Russia supporting?
Thomas Pierret, a Syria specialist from the University of Edinburgh, tells RFE/RL that the claims by Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov are not true.
Russia is helping Arab auxiliaries of the Kurdish militia the People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Pierret says.
"They don't fight Assad so they're not 'opposition' or 'FSA'," Pierret told RFE/RL.
The SDF was formed in October and includes the Kurdish YPG and Syrian Arab groups, as well as Assyrians, Armenian and Turkoman militias.
Russia is prepared to cooperate with any country over Syria, Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov has said, TASS is reporting.
Gerasimov said that there are examples of cooperation between the West and Russia in recent history including over dealing with Syria's chemical weapons and talks over the Iranian nuclear program.
TASS has more on this morning's claims by Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov that Russia is supporting the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in joint operations with Syrian government forces in Syria.
Gerasimov said that "FSA groups" are advancing in four of Syria's provinces -- Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Raqqa.
Opposition activists say Syrian government helicopter gunships have struck a suburb of the capital, Damascus, a day after airstrikes on nearby areas killed at least 45 people, AP is reporting.
Two groups -- the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees -- said that the strikes targeted the southwestern suburb of Daraya.
No casualty figures have been given yet.
From our news desk:
Egypt Finds No 'Terrorist Action' In Downing Of Russian Plane
gyptian officials say they have finished a preliminary report on the Russian plane crash on the Sinai Peninsula in October and found no sign that a bomb caused the tragedy.
Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement on December 14 that a technical investigative committee "has so far not found anything indicating any illegal intervention or terrorist action" in the downing of the plane, in which all 224 people aboard were killed.
Russian and Western officials have said the crash was caused by a bomb, and a militant organization based in Egypt with ties to the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the incident.
Federal Security Service Director Aleksandr Bortnikov said after an investigation that the airplane crashed as a result of an explosion of a bomb on board that was the equivalent of one kilogram of dynamite.
The A321 aircraft, which was flying to St. Petersburg, crashed shortly after taking off from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 31.
On November 6, Russia banned all flights to Egypt.
The Russian Defense Ministry is tweeting Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov's comments on Syria at this morning's briefing for foreign military attaches.
"Russia is contributing to the joint efforts of government forces and Syrian opposition forces to rout the terrorists," Gerasimov is quoted as saying here.
Gerasimov repeated comments made last week by Russian President Putin that Russia is giving air support and well as supplying weapons and ammunition to some Free Syrian Army groups.
Russia's Chief of General Staff has hinted at Moscow's previous allegations that Turkey is profiting from the illegal trade in IS oil.
In comments on the downing last month by Turkey of a Russian warplane, Valery Gerasimov said that Turkish "business interests" have been given a higher priority than Russian lives.
"The mercantile interests in illegal business of certain high-ranking Turkish officials have been placed above the lives of law-abiding citizens of Russia, France, Mali and also Turkey, against whom IS terrorists have committed acts of terror," Gerasimov said.