10/8/16

* Obama set for Mosul battle, leaves Aleppo to Putin The warlike rhetoric heard from Washington over the plight of the stricken Syrian town of Aleppo does not represent any current Obama administration plan for military intervention to halt the ever-mounting carnage.

* Russia deploys nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its Kaliningrad region, bordering Poland and Lithuania.

* Iran: children's theme park markets jihad against America and Israel Children are trained in the park to shoot virtual fixed and moving targets. 

* Iraq PM to Erdogan: get out of Iraq or face possibility of regional war As the operation to free Mosul from the self-proclaimed caliphate approaches, the potential vacuum left after the Islamic State loses the city could lead to serious complications for the region. 

* Minutes to midnight: US cuts bilateral contact with Russia Following Russia's decree to end their joint nuclear deweaponization program with the US, the US State Department announced Monday that Washington has suspended bilateral contact with Moscow.

* Ethiopian immigration to Israel resuming after 3-year freeze Amid civil unrest in Ethiopia, first group of Jews since 2013 set to arrive in Israel on Sunday; 9,000 still waiting in Ethiopia.

* One World Religion Advances with Vatican Anglican Meeting The heads of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches said on Wednesday they would work together to help the poor and protect the environment despite their unity being blocked by differences over women priests and gay marriage.

* Portugal's Antonio Guterres set to be UN secretary general Portugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to become the next UN secretary general, UN diplomats say.

* Russia suspends weapons-grade plutonium deal with US Russia has suspended an agreement with the US on the disposal of surplus weapons-grade plutonium, the latest sign of worsening bilateral relations.

* France: The Ticking Time Bomb of Islamization Recently, two important studies about French Muslims were released in France.