Israeli voting polls open for general election: AFP
AFP correspondents said, for elections to determine whether Israelis still want incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu as leader, or will seek change after six years.
Kerry comments 'acknowledge Assad legitimacy': Syria media
US Secretary of State John Kerry's suggestion that Washington must negotiate with the Damascus regime was recognition of President Bashar al-Assad's "legitimacy."
26 dead in Syria regime air raids near Damascus: monitor
At least 26 people including seven children were killed and more than 100 wounded in Syrian government air strikes near the capital Damascus.
UNESCO demands crisis meet over Iraq heritage destruction
The head of the United Nations' cultural agency demanded an emergency meeting of the world body's Security Council.
Australia warns women IS no 'romantic adventure'
A worrying number of Australian women are heading to Iraq and Syria to become so-called Islamic State group "jihadi brides", Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.
UN chief seeks action on Syria sieges, barrel bombs
Denouncing a business-as-usual approach to Syria, UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for urgent action to lift sieges on civilians and to end barrel bomb attacks.
UN Security Council seeks to choke off Islamic State funds
The UN Security Council is set to adopt a resolution aimed at choking off millions of dollars in earnings from oil sales.
Hezbollah head says not seeking new war but warns Israel
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said his Shiite militant group is not seeking confrontation with Israel.
Turkey's Erdogan says no to Syrian Kurdistan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country opposes the idea of a Kurdish-controlled autonomous government in northern Syria.
Bulgarian expert presents portrait of extremist from Kazakhstan
Member of the International Association for the Study of Terrorism presents findings of рук study into the roots of extremism in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstani journalists lay flowers near French Consulate in memory of colleagues from Charlie Hebdo
Kazakhstani journalists have laid flowers near the French Consulate in Almaty to honor the victims of the terrorist attack at the French Charlie Hebdo newspaper.
Ban Ki-moon condemns Jordan pilot kidnapping
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his "concern" over a Jordanian pilot captured by the Islamic State jihadist group after his plane went down in Syria.
Kazakh man among Islamic State executioners
Professor at the University of Sofia and an expert in the field of counter-terrorism Tatiana Dronzina says that one of the fighters in the video of mass execution of Iraqi soldiers is a Kazakhstani national. She believes the problem has acquired such proportions, it is important to conduct targeted information campaigns showing truthfully the crimes of the organization, thereby stripping it of any possible connections to heroism and martyrdom they use for promotion of their lifestyles.
Syria's Assad backs Russia peace bid, Moscow in touch with US
President Bashar al-Assad met a top Russian envoy who said Moscow is hoping to relaunch peace talks for the war-torn country and could host a Syria-US meeting.
Kerry hosts first anti-Islamic State coalition meeting
US Secretary of State John Kerry hosts the first high-level meeting of the 60-member coalition trying to crush the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and in Syria.
300 Kazakhstanis joined Islamic State, half of them - women
National Security Committee of Kazakhstan has announced that 300 Kazakhstan nationals joined the ranks of the Islamic State. Half of them are women.
Pentagon can't confirm fate of IS leader
A Pentagon official suggested that lower-level figures of the Islamic State group may have been hit.
Obama wants $3.2 bn more for US air war on IS: officials
President Barack Obama will ask lawmakers Friday for an additional $3.2 billion to pay for the war against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
Erdogan says Syrian Kurds 'don't want' peshmerga in Kobane
Turkish President Recep accused the main Kurdish party in Syria of not wanting Kurdish peshmerga fighters from Iraq to help it fight Islamic State jihadists