Syrian government to start peace talks today: Reuters
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura will meet a Syrian government delegation in Geneva today to start the first peace talks for over two years, his office has said.
"Mr. de Mistura will start by meeting the government’s delegation today, headed by the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, Mr. Bashar Jaafari.
"He will continue meetings with other participants in the talks and with representatives of the civil society subsequently," it said. "As indicated by Mr. de Mistura in his press conference on 25 January, these will be proximity talks, meaning that the parties will be meeting with him separately."
From our news desk:
Opposition Boycott Threatens To Derail Syrian Peace Talks
The absence of key opposition groups is threatening to derail the long-anticipated start of Syrian peace talks in Geneva on January 29.
A coalition of opposition groups backed by Saudi Arabia said it would not attend the negotiations until an agreement is reached with the Syrian government on providing aid to besieged towns.
Also missing from the talks were representatives of Syria's Kurdish population, which has control over much of the country's north. The Kurds were not invited because another key participant, Turkey, insists their representatives are linked to an outlawed Kurdish party in Turkey.
The U.S. State Department on January 28 pleaded with the Saudi-backed coalition, known as the High Negotiations Committee, to join the talks despite seeing no progress on bringing aid to besieged and starving Syrians.
"These demands, while legitimate, shouldn't keep the talks from moving forward," said department spokesman Mark Toner. "This is really an historic opportunity for them to go to Geneva to propose serious, practical ways to implement a cease-fire and other confidence-building measures."
The United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who organized the talks, made a last-minute plea directly to Syrians in a video, urging them to support the talks as what he portrayed as a last chance for peace that "cannot fail."
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
More video, photos of attack on Shi'ite mosque in Saudi Arabia
The @Ahrar_TV Twitter account has published photos and a video claiming to show the attack and its aftermath on a Shi'ite mosque in Saudi Arabia this morning.
The account says that the attacker detonated a bomb after opening fire on the congregation, but this is not confirmed.
The attack targeted the Shi'ite mosque during Friday prayers when it was full. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet but the IS group is a likely suspect.
What looks like cellphone footage claiming to show the aftermath of this morning's shooting at a Shi'ite mosque in Saudi Arabia has been posted on Twitter.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also commented this morning on the situation in Libya including regarding the expansion of the IS group:
Russia stopped over 100 citizens traveling to Syria in 2015: NAC
Russia's intelligence services prevented over a hundred Russian nationals from traveling to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside militant groups, a spokesman for the National Anti-terrorism Committee, Andrey Przhezdomsky has said.
Przhezdomsky said that Russia has brought criminal cases against 832 people who have joined the IS group including against 22 recruiters and that more than 80 of these have already been convicted.
Syrian government delegation arrived in Geneva: Russian FM spox
A delegation from the Syrian government has arrived in Geneva and is ready for talks with opposition groups, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
"We have a clear understanding and reliable information that the Syrian government delegation has arrived in Geneva. It is ready for talks. It is in close contact with UN officials and with experts who are also there," Zakharova said at a press briefing this morning.
Syria talks start today but UN can't say who with, where or when: Reuters
UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi has told a UN briefing this morning that Syria peace talks will start as planned this morning in Geneva.
But there is no information about who will turn up or when talks would start.
"They will start as planned, but I don't have a time, I don't have a location and I can't tell you anything about the delegations ... later this morning we will have more news," Fawzi said. "There will be, I know, a statement made later today by the office of the special envoy."
"I can't give you a time, I can't give you a who, where, when," he said.
3 dead in shooting at Shi'ite mosque in Saudi Arabia
Three people have been killed and others wounded in a shooting at a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, security officials and a witness have said, AP is reporting.
Shi'ites in Saudi Arabia have previously been targeted by the IS group.
EgyptAir mechanic suspected of planting bomb on Russian plane: Reuters
More developments in the story of the identities of those responsible for the downing of the Russian MetroJet flight over Sinai.
Reuters is citing "sources familiar with the matter" -- likely Egyptian, not Russian -- as saying that an EgyptAir mechanic whose cousin joined the IS group in Syria is suspected of planting a bomb on the plane.
But the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, said the mechanic had been detained, along with two airport policemen and a baggage handler suspected of helping him put the bomb on board.
"After learning that one of its members had a relative that worked at the airport, Islamic State delivered a bomb in a handbag to that person," said one of the sources, adding the suspect's cousin joined Islamic State in Syria a year and a half ago.
"He was told to not ask any questions and get the bomb on the plane."
This morning, Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said that the FSB would not confirm a LifeNews report that said several individuals behind the plane crash had been identified including one man who was directly responsible.
LifeNews is a tabloid with ties to Russia's intelligence services.
Meanwhile, Egypt has publicly said that it has found no evidence so far that the plane was downed by terrorists -- an announcement that angered Russia.
IS has claimed responsibility for the attack in an article in its magazine, Dabiq.