Lebanon

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has praised a new "Saudi-led Islamic anti-terrorism alliance" as being "in line with U.S. calls for a greater Sunni role" in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). He was speaking during a visit to Turkey's ?ncirlik air base on Dec. 15, which came only a day after the Pentagon gave a conceptual briefing about the front to U.S.

Melomakarona, kourabiedes and diples are traditionally served at Christmas in Greece.

INGREDIENTS

Christmas is just around the corner and decorations have already begun with most cities around the world competing on which one has the most impressive and unique Christmas tree.

See some of the most outstanding trees around the globe:

Warsaw, Poland

In the Mediterranean to the south, Turkey does not have diplomatic relations with European Union member Cyprus. In its east, Turkey does not have diplomatic relations with Armenia, now a reinforced Russian military base.  

A Syrian woman is facing up to 12 years in prison after she was detained in an Istanbul airport for allegedly smuggling ancient coins.

Salwa Jerbakah, a 36-year-old Syrian woman planning to fly to Stockholm from Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, was stopped and searched by airport authorities on April 9, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

According to Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, Europe has to start returning economic migrants to their home countries.

Mitov was firm that there was no secret plan on the relocation of 500 000 migrants currently in Turkey to the EU.

Peace is within reach in Cyprus, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said, a day before the two Cypriot leaders met on Dec. 4 as part of the peace talks. 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to give at least 500 million euros (dollars), the vast majority of its funding to help Syrian migrants, to Turkey and Jordan to improve the water, waste and transport systems.

Iraqi Kurdistan's cash-strapped government has seized billions of dollars in deposits at two branches of Iraq's Central Bank since 2014, bankers said, calling into question the region's image as a business-friendly paradise in the Middle East.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening as winter approaches, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned.