Belgian court adjourns Syria militant recruitment appeal hearing for security reasons
A Belgian court has adjourned an appeal hearing for several defendants against prison sentences for recruiting militants for Syria, citing security reasons, AFP reports.
The security reasons seem linked to concerns about personal protection for the judges.
Some of the defendants are linked to key figures in the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.
The appeals follow sentencing in July that handed down prison terms of up to 20 years after 32 people were tried -- many in absentia -- on charges of running one of Belgium's largest militant recruitment networks to send fighters to Syria.
Australian police raid homes of IS medico's ex-wives
The Australian has more on reports that counter-terrorism police in Melbourne raided two homes linked to an IS militant yesterday.
The two homes belonged to two former wives of Mohomed Unais Mohomed Ameen, a Sri Lankan born man who appeared in an IS propaganda video last year calling on Australians and other foreigners to travel to Syria and help provide medical services.
Another Australian, Tareq Kamleh, also appeared in the video to urge Australians with medical experience to join IS.
The Australian understands the warrants were executed yesterday to try to learn whether Ameen has been communicating with other Islamic State sympathisers in Australia. Police are seeking enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant against Ameen, who was studying sports coaching before leaving for Syria in May 2014.
Turkish army captures 25 'militants,' 22 children near Syria border: Hurriyet
The Turkish army says it has captured 25 alleged IS militants as well as 25 children in two operations near the Syrian border.
The first operation on Jan. 27 resulted in the capture of 21 alleged militants and 22 children in Kilis province as they tried to cross into Turkey from Syria.
The second operation on the same day saw four people captured as they tried to enter Syria from Turkey.
'We're still starving': besieged Syrian town
Snow and falling temperatures in the Syrian town of Madaya have worsened the suffering of thousands of people at risk of starvation because of a government siege, residents and aid workers say.
"We were starving before the U.N. came here, and we’re still starving, and it’s getting colder and colder," Abdullah, 25, a resident, told the Washington Post.
Syrian peace talks face further delays as opposition sticks to demands
Syrian peace talks are set to start tomorrow but look likely to be delayed yet again as the Saudi-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee stuck to its demands for an end to bombardments and blockades.
The opposition is still waiting for a response to its demands from UN chief Ban Ki-moon, Reuters reports.
Syrian opposition waiting for response from UN's Ban
The Syrian opposition is waiting for a response from UN Secretary General Ban K-Moon regarding its demands, including an end to bombardments and sieges, a source familiar with an opposition meeting in Riyadh has told Reuters.
The latest development comes after the opposition received a response from UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura who said that implementation of the opposition's demands was beyond his authority.
The Saudi-backed opposition says it wants its demands implemented before the start of Syria talks on Jan. 29.
Russia hopes for agreement on terror group list in Feb. 11 Syria meeting
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said that Moscow hopes that an international Syria meeting planned for Feb. 11 will be able to move towards a consensus on a list of terror groups as well as evaluate the start of the Syria peace talks in Geneva.
"Different countries consider different organization as being terror [groups] and these estimates often do not converge," Bogdanov was quoted as saying by TASS.
"Therefore there are various assessments and approaches. As of now a universal definition of which terror groups are operating in Syria -- I mean a general consensus of the members of the [Vienna] group -- has not been reached."
Bogdanov said that the Feb.11 meeting in Munich would also evaluate the opening of the Syria peace talks in Geneva.
Putin discussed Syria with Russian Security Council: RIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed issues relating to a political resolution to the Syrian crisis with the Russian Security Council, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Turkey's conflict with Kurds affecting Syria, pro-Kurdish opposition says
Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said that the Turkish conflict with the Kurds in the country's south east was affecting the war in neighboring Syria and complicating efforts to start peace talks, Reuters reports.
Turkey, the United States and the European Union have all designated the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a terrorist group.
But the United States has seen the Syrian Kurdish PYD, which has ties to the PKK, as a useful ally including because its military wing, the YPG, is fighting against the IS group.
Demirtas said Turkey's opposition to the Syrian Kurdish PYD taking part in Syria peace talks was an "emotional reflex."
U.S. asks NATO for AWACS surveillance planes to help in fight against IS
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the United States has requested NATO's help in fighting the IS group by providing Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes.
Stoltenberg said NATO was looking into the request.