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Pope Francis Visits Turkey to Bolster Religious Ties
Pope Francis is meeting with Turkey's leaders Friday on the first day of a rare papal visit to the predominantly Muslim country.
During his trip, his first to Turkey as pontiff, Francis will meet the head of the Orthodox Church and voice support for Christians in the region and the many refugees who have fled fighting in Iraq and Syria.
The Pope's first stop was at the Ataturk Mausoleum, tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkish republic and its first president, where he laid a wreath.
Suicide Attack Kills 5 in Afghan Capital, Including UK Embassy Workers
A suicide attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday killed five people and wounded 33 others, including at least four children, said Hashmat Stanikzai, Kabul's police chief.
An explosive-laden car was detonated as a foreign embassy convoy was passing in the 9th District police zone, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi.
The UK Foreign Office said two of those killed worked for the British Embassy.
Streets of Ferguson Smolder After Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officer
This was Ferguson early Tuesday morning.
Shattered glass from looted stores covered the asphalt. The smoke of tear gas lingered in the cold air. A no-fly zone imposed over the city.
"This ain't Iraq. This is the United States," Demetric Whitlock yelled to a line of police officers on South Florissant Road, in front of the Ferguson Police Department.
When a grand jury decided Monday not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, the act triggered fresh confrontations between protesters and police in the tense Missouri city.
U.S. Official: Deadline Might be Extended in Iran Nuclear Talks
The United States might extend a deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear program, a senior State Department official told CNN.
International negotiators in Vienna, Austria, are scrambling to reach a deal by Monday's deadline.
"It is only natural that less than 48 hours from the deadline we are discussing a range of options," the official said. "An extension is one of those options."
Police: Palestinian Admits Intentionally Driving Into Israeli Soldiers
A Palestinian man has admitted to deliberately ramming a vehicle into three Israeli soldiers in the West Bank two weeks ago - one of several recent cases of violence in the Palestinian territory or Jerusalem - Israeli police said Thursday.
Jamal Hamam Mesalmeh, 23, turned himself in to Israeli authorities shortly after the November 5 incident near the village of al-Aroub and claimed it was an accident, police said. The soldiers suffered moderate injuries, officials said at the time.
Israeli police said Mesalmeh is an activist associated with the Islamist Hamas movement. Police said he claimed he was inspired in part by an attack in eastern Jerusalem earlier November 5 - one in which Israeli authorities said a Palestinian drove into pedestrians at a rail station, killing two Israelis and at least 12 other peoplebefore police shot and killed the driver.
Hopes for Iran Nuclear Deal Fading
There are just four days left for a nuclear deal with Iran. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond reportedly told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that he doesn't think an agreement is close.
CNN's Nic Robertson reports.
Snowstorms, Frigid Temperatures Hammer Half of the U.S.; Five People Killed
Snowstorms and record low temperatures whacked much of the country this week - and there's more havoc coming Wednesday.
About 50% of the country had snow on the ground Tuesday,according to the National Weather Service.
Buffalo, New York, one of the hardest-hit, is buried under 6 feet of snow - and counting.
Israel: 'We will respond with a heavy hand' after synagogue attack kills 4
Two knife- and axe-wielding Palestinian men broke into a Jerusalem synagogue Tuesday morning and killed four Israeli worshipers, Israeli police said.
Police responded and shot and killed the attackers, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN. Authorities said the men were cousins who came from East Jerusalem and also had a handgun.
ISIS Beheads U.S. Hostage Peter Kassig
Like a wounded animal lashing out in fury, ISIS is betraying hints of desperation in its latest video, which purportedly shows the aftermath of the beheading of U.S. hostage Peter Kassig, analysts said Sunday.
And if there's news worse than the apparent brutal death of Kassig, it's that we should expect even more vicious videos to come from the group, also known by the acronym ISIL, said Haras Rafiq of the Quiliam Foundation, an anti-extremist think tank.
The Immigration Waiting Game Will End Soon
President Obama, who will act on immigration reform by the end of the year, has not reviewed final administration recommendations on immigration but is aware of the general details in the expected plan, says a senior White House official who is traveling with the President in Myanmar.
"It's not like this is the Academy Awards," said the official, meaning that the contents of the envelope are not a surprise.
Citing his legal authority as chief executive of the United States, Obama said in a press conference in Myanmar Friday that he would act on immigration reform by the end of the year.
