Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, has said Ankara's efforts to calm tensions following its downing of a Russian fighter jet would not bear any fruit unless Turkey apologizes for shooting down the jet, punishes those who are responsible, and agrees to pay damages, Today's Zaman reports.
“Unless these expectations of ours are met, other statements made by Turkey [to appease the tension] will not yield any results,” Karlov told the Cumhuriyet daily today.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also said that Russia is supporting the Free Syrian Army against IS.
"Indeed, there are some forces of this Free Syrian Army, they are participating in offensives against IS and other extremist groups. These offensives are also supported by the Russian armed forces," Peskov told reporters in response to questions about comments made by Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov this morning.
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.
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.