Syria

Rebel rocket fire killed at least 34 civilians in Aleppo in one of the bloodiest days of the conflict for government-held areas of Syria's second city, a monitoring group said June 16.

Twelve children were among the dead as Islamist rebel factions pounded western neighbourhoods of the city with more than 300 rockets on June 15, the Syrian Observatory for Human Right said.    

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis on Tuesday appealed for help from the government and Greece's eurozone partners to manage the arrival of thousands of migrants and refugees in the Greek capital, warning that the situation could "spiral out of control."

For Turks, the burning question after the June 7  election is whether they will now get the fully democratic, pluralist country that so many of them want. The defeat of President Tayyip Recep Erdo?an's Justice and Development Party (AK Party) does open that prospect, although translating it into reality will be very difficult.

Thousands of people have poured over Syria's border to Turkey, fleeing a battle between Kurdish forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) near the border town of Tal Abyad, prompting close attention from Turkey's cabinet.

Russia's Gazprom gave Turkey the necessary coordinates for the planned Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline last week, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z has told reporters. 

Seventeen people were killed in Iraq on June 15 in clashes between Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants and pro-government forces in a town close to the country?s biggest refinery, a focal point in efforts to counter the ultra-hardline Sunni group. 

The European Commission is urging EU governments to send back migrants who cannot claim asylum, taking a tougher line to convince reluctant countries to receive new refugees fleeing Syria and Eritrea.

Around 40 foreign suicide bombers enter Iraq each month, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on June 15, calling for countries in the region to curb the flow of foreign fighters.

The father of the suspect arrested over the charge of leading the twin blasts at the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) rally in the southeastern province of Diyarbak?r has spoken out on how his son had been deceived to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), news website Radikal reported on June 15.

More than 2800 asylum seekers have crossed Syria's border with Turkey since Ankara moved to open its checkpoints for migrants over the weekend.

The numbers given by Anadolu Agency correspond to Syrians who used the southern Akcakale border gate to enter Turkey amid fierce fighting between Kurds and jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group.