October, 2014

• 17 October

  Turkey to adopt new strategy for EU membership

  Turkey is launching a new communication strategy to support its bid for EU membership. The new strategy, intended to reverse the decline in public opinion support for Turkey’s membership in the EU, the country, will reinforce the value of Turkey’s participation, according to the country’s ministry of EU Affairs.

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• 17 October

  NATO says no sign of significant Russian pullback from Ukraine’s border

  NATO said today it saw no sign of any significant Russian pullback from Ukraine’s border, despite President Vladimir Putin ordering thousands of troops to withdraw ahead of truce talks. “We would welcome the withdrawal of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, as this would be a step in the …

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• 17 October

  Merkel urges Putin to honor obligations for truce in Ukraine

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday called on the Russian government to honor obligations it had made for implementing a recently-reached truce in Ukraine between separatists and Kiev. The Chancellor, in a statement at the Bundestag, said the Moscow government bears bulk of the responsibility of defusing the crisis in …

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• 17 October

  Putin makes official visit to Serbia

  Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Serbia and Russia have strong political ties. He underscored that Moscow’s position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija will not change and that Russia insists on it being resolved in line with UNSC Resolution 1244.

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• 17 October

  US conducts airstrikes against IS near Kobane

  The US military continued to attack ISIL terrorists near Kobane Wednesday and Thursday in 14 airstrikes using bomber and fighter aircraft, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). “These airstrikes are designed to interdict ISIL reinforcements and resupply and prevent ISIL from massing combat power on the Kurdish held portions …

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• 17 October

  Egypt military strikes Libyan militias

  Egyptian military aircraft are bombing positions held by Islamist militias in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi as part of a large-scale operation to rid the city of militants who have held sway there for months, two Egyptian government officials said on Wednesday. The officials, who have first-hand knowledge of …

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• 17 October

  US, Russia agree to share intel for stopping IS

  US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that he and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov have agreed to step up intelligence sharing over the Islamic State (ISIS) group. “I suggested to Foreign Minister Lavrov that we intensify intelligence cooperation with respect to ISIL and other counter-terrorism challenges of …

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• 17 October

  Over 30 killed in Baghdad attacks

  Militants unleashed a wave of attacks on Thursday targeting Shia areas in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens, officials said. The deadliest attack took place when two parked car-bombs exploded simultaneously in a commercial area in the northern Dolaie neighbourhood, killing 14 civilians …

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• 17 October

  Kurdish forces manage to push IS from part of Kobane

  Kurdish forces have managed to repel Islamic State militants from part of the besieged Syrian town of Kobane, various Kurdish sources said on Thursday. A Kurdish official in Kobane said that US-led airstrikes had successfully pushed back Islamic State insurgents from parts of the town and had allowed Kurdish fighters to …

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• 14 October

  Obama, foreign allies to discuss plan to destroy IS

  Some three weeks before U.S. congressional elections viewed largely as a referendum on Obama’s leadership, the president will aim to show the U.S. public and allies abroad that he is committed to a plan to degrade and destroy the group that has taken over large swaths of Iraq and Syria. …

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