Russian Defense Ministry: Deployment of any weaponry by foreign troops on Syrian territory must be agreed upon with Syrian government

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the deployment of any type of weaponry by foreign troops on Syrian territory must be agreed upon with the Syrian government.

U.S. escalates airstrikes against Syrian government

The U.S.-led coalition to fight the Islamic State has struck pro-government forces in Syria for a third time in recent weeks.

Chief Syria negotiator accuses "rebel" supporters of state-sponsored terror

The Damascus government delegation at the United Nations-backed Syria peace talks on Friday said any country that backed rebel forces fighting in the war were sponsoring terrorism by inadvertently supporting a hard-line al-Qaida offshoot.

Syria FM Calls on Refugees to Return Home

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem called on the country’s refugees to return home, official media reported, without directly commenting on a US travel ban targeting them.

Jordan says Syrian refugees cost over $7 bln

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Syrian refugees influx has cost the country more than seven billion US dollars since 2011, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Around 10 foreign ministers expected to take part in Vienna meeting on Syria on October 30

Around 10 foreign ministers are expected to take part in the Vienna meeting on Syria on October 30, a diplomatic source told TASS on Wednesday.

‘No common position’ on Assad after meeting

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Friday after attending a meeting in Vienna on Syria that he and his fellow participants had not reached consensus on the political fate of President Bashar al-Assad, Russian news agencies reported.

Egypt Calls for Joint Arab Defense Force

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told his countrymen, in a televised national address late Sunday, that Egypt is hoping to be part of a new Arab joint defense force, which is now under consideration by the Arab League.

UN Security Council calls for Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire

The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire in hostilities between Israel and Palestinians on Saturday, expressing its deep concern over the welfare and protection of civilians on both sides of the conflict.

“The Security Council members called for de-escalation of the situation, restoration of calm, and reinstitution of the November 2012 ceasefire,” the 15-member body said in a statement.

It also called for the respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

The Security Council’s statement came as Israel rushed an eighth missile interceptor battery into service on Saturday to counter stronger-than-expected rocket fire from Gaza, and the military struck positions in the Palestinian enclave for a fifth day.

Secret UK plan to "train 100,000 Syria rebels" exposed. (at bases in Turkey and Jordan)

A plan to train and equip a 100,000-strong rebel army to defeat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was drawn up by Britain, then scrapped as it was deemed too risky, BBC Newsnight reported on Thursday.
The alleged proposal, put forward two years ago, was the idea of General David Richards, then chief of Britain's defense, according to the BBC.

The secret "extract, equip, train" proposal was considered by Prime Minister David Cameron and the National Security Council, as well as U.S. officials, the BBC said, citing Whitehall sources.