Syria

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Dec. 4 his resignation last week was not prompted by "major differences" with President Barack Obama, pushing back against statements that he had been fired or quit due to White House micromanagement.

Wealthy nations have only taken in a "pitiful" number of the millions of refugees uprooted by Syria's war, placing the burden on the country's ill-equipped neighbours, Amnesty International said Dec. 5.

In a statement ahead of a December 9 donors' conference in Geneva, the London-based rights group blasted as shocking the failure of rich nations to host more refugees.

The U.K.'s Secret Intelligence Service MI6 is still awaiting an answer from the Turkish authorities regarding two British citizens, who MI6 alleges were handed over to jihadists by Turkey without notification to London.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are managing more than 600 modernization projects to address the challenges of the world's new security environment, Lt. General Alpaslan Erdoğan, chief of the Plans and Policy Division of the Turkish General Staff, announced late Dec. 3.

Washington has asserted it is “premature” to say they are close to making a decision on the no-fly zone idea pushed by Ankara, contradicting the top Turkish diplomat’s words that signaled progress in narrowing the differences of views on the matter.

Speaking after his whirlwind recent visit to Turkey, Pope Francis said he prays for the country to build a place “of peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures.”

Speaking after his whirlwind recent visit to Turkey, Pope Francis said he prays for the country to build a place “of peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures.”

The destruction of 12 chemical weapons facilities in Syria is expected to start later this month.

Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, says the work should be complete by the end of June 2015.

The World Food Program launched an unusual campaign Dec. 3 to raise $1 contributions from 64 million people around the world so it can restore food vouchers to Syrian refugees who won't be getting any U.N. help in December.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which overran large areas of Iraq and Syria, has set up training camps in eastern Libya and the American military is closely monitoring, a top U.S. general said Dec. 3.