Turkey agreed to let the US to use its military bases to carry out operations against the Islamic State, according to US defence officials. The Incirlik air base in southern Turkey will be used to launch US-led airstrikes against IS targets. While Ankara maintained that no ground troops will be deployed in Syria, Turkey authorised the use of its territory to train Syrian opposition forces. The US has been pressing Turkey to play a larger role against the extremists as clashes continued between Kurdish troops and Islamic State militants over the border town of Kobane.
Cairo aid conference raises $5.4 billion for Gaza
International donors pledged $5.4 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza at a conference in Cairo on Sunday. Qatar vowed to donate $ 1 billion while the US promised $212 million. US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel and Palestine to hold a fresh round of peace talks to achieve a permanent solution to the conflict. The total amount exceeded the $4 billion requested by the Palestinian Authority for rebuilding the territories left devastated after the seven-week conflict between Israel and the militant faction Hamas.
Putin orders Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine border
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered almost 17,000 soldiers to withdraw from the Rostov region on the Ukraine border. The soldiers were undergoing a training exercise in the region and will now return to their permanent bases. The development comes ahead of peace talks between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, scheduled for later this week. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of it supplying troops and weapons to separatist rebels in east Ukraine.
Suicide bomber attacks NATO troops in Afghanistan
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked a convoy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Kabul early on Monday. The blast killed one civilian and left three injured. The incident is the latest in a series of suicide bombing in Kabu; following the inaugration of Ashraf Ghani as Aghanistan's new prime minister. In a separate incident, two Afghan civilians were killed and six others were wounded when a suicide bomber targeted an Afghan army patrol in the Nangarhar province.
Evo Morales wins Bolivian presidential elections
Bolivia's incumbent president Evo Morales emerged victorious in the country's presidential elections held on Sunday. Although the results haven't been announced officially, a national exit poll showed Morales leading with 61% of the votes, passing the 50% mark required to avoid a run-off. Morales, who belongs to the Movement Toward Socialism party, will serve his third term as president of the South American country.