NATO chief says military option ‘still on table’ in Syria

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday it was “essential for keeping momentum in the diplomatic and political process that the military option is still on the table” in dealing with the Syria crisis. He was speaking at an event organized by the Carnegie Europe think tank, Reuters reported. Such an option should be considered “irrespective of the outcome of the deliberations in the UN Security Council,” Rasmussen said.

NATO probes drone strike as 8 civilian deaths reported

The NATO force in Afghanistan has launched an investigation into a drone aircraft attack on an Al-Qaeda member, which Afghan officials say killed eight women and children. The attack took place on September 7 in the eastern province of Kunar, Reuters reported. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) initially said "10 enemy forces" had been killed, and no civilian casualties were reported

Border gate shut on Turkish side after clashes in Syrian town

Turkey has closed one of its border gates to Syria after an Al-Qaeda-affiliated rebel group clashed with units of the Free Syrian Army in the Syrian town of Azaz, a Turkish official said on Thursday. The Oncupinar border gate near the Turkish frontier has been closed for security reasons, “as there is still confusion about what is happening on the Syrian side,” the official told Reuters. “All humanitarian assistance that normally goes through the gate has ceased.” Turkey allows Syrian refugees to cross into its territory, but from time to time it temporarily closes its border crossings following clashes near the frontier.

Putin won’t engage in debate with McCain over op-ed – press secretary

President Vladimir Putin will not engage in any debates with John McCain over the US Republican senator’s op-ed written for Russia’s Pravda.ru. The Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that engaging in any controversy would not make any sense. “It is the point of view of a man who lives overseas,” he said, referring to McCain’s article headlined “Russians deserve better than Putin.” The op-ed will be “certainly” read in the Kremlin, Peskov said, adding that it is well known that the senator “is not a fan of Putin.”

Moscow makes presentation to US embassy over violations of adopted kids rights

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s envoy on human rights, democracy, and supremacy of law, Konstantin Dolgov, has given a presentation to an adviser to the US embassy in Moscow regarding reported violations of the rights of Russian children adopted by US citizens. Russia is demanding prosecution of those guilty of violating adopted children rights. Moscow also wants all the Russian children who have fallen victim to ‘Internet exchanges,’ to be identified, Interfax said, citing a report on the ministry’s website published on Thursday. It said information on the children’s current situation should be provided, and unimpeded consular access to them be guaranteed.

Russia’s communications watchdog blacklists Facebook page over smoking blends ads

The Russian Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technology and Communications (Roskomnadzor) has put one Facebook’s page on a list of banned websites over smoking blends ads that were posted on the social network. The ads with illegal content were removed in two cases, but remained on one page, according to the watchdog’s expertise. The page was blacklisted, but the list of banned websites does not contain the network’s IP-address, RIA Novosti reported Thursday. Facebook, which has not commented on the information, has to remove the illegal content in three days or could face the page being blocked.

Britain arrests 2 more suspects over Syria terror links

British police have arrested two more people over alleged involvement in terrorism in Syria. A man aged 27 and a woman aged 26 were detained at a house in Essex, east of London, on Wednesday following a search, the Metropolitan Police said. They were held “on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” AFP reported. Their arrests relate to suspected terrorism in Syria and came after two men, aged 29 and 22, both British citizens, were held on Monday in Dover in southern England after arriving from Calais in France with a quantity of ammunition that was seized, police said.