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The al-Qaeda-affiliated militants have vandalized churches in the Damascus countryside of Ma\'lula. That\'s according to the secretariat of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The militants have reportedly removed the bells of all the churches, burned the crosses, and stolen the bronze statue of Christ. The ancient Christian town of Ma\'lula has been the site of fierce fighting for months now, and thousands of its residents have fled to safer parts of the country including Damascus. Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front insurgents stormed the Orthodox Mar Takla convent in the town in December and abducted several nuns. Christians make up about 10 percent of Syria\'s population. The religious minority and its holy sites have been subjected to numerous attacks by militants since the outbreak of violence Syria in 2011.

Newly leaked classified documents have revealed more about the spying activities of the US National Security Agency and its British counterpart, the GCHQ. The latest revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden show that the NSA and GCHQ have relied on data scooped up from the so-called leaky smartphone applications. according to a document published by The New York Times and The Guardian, the two intelligence agencies have been using applications such as Angry Birds games and Google Maps to collect swaths of personal data about users\' age, daily whereabouts, address books, and much more. It also exposed the fact that the mobile app initiative between the two spy agencies has been up and running since 2007. Previous reports have revealed the extent of the US and British governments\' mobile data collection, which has a global reach.

Syrian people have held rallies to show solidarity with president Bashar al-Assad. The rallies were held in the capital Damascus and the town of Nabak. Similar demonstrations have frequently taken place during the past couple of years. Foreign-backed insurgents have repeatedly fired mortar shells and carried out bombings in urban and rural areas where they suspect people support the Damascus government. The attacks have caused heavy casualties.

In northern Yemen, heavy clashes have erupted between Shia Houthi fighters and pro-Salafi tribal militants. Militants have launched missiles at civilian homes in the town on Houth. This comes after Houthis took control of the town as well as the village of Khamri from tribal gunmen. The advances are considered huge victories for the Shia fighters following weeks of battles with pro-Salafi militants. Houthi fighters and gunmen from the Hashid tribe have been engaged in heavy fighting since early January. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the clashes since October.

In Syria, militants have withdrawn from a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus under a deal with Palestinian factions. Palestinian fighters have been deployed to prevent the entry of any gunmen after most insurgents left the Yarmouk camp. Now a Palestinian delegation is set to tour it soon to make sure that all militants have left. Bomb disposal experts will also be sent there following the tour to defuse all explosives and mines before humanitarian aid is allowed in. Thousands of civilians have been trapped in Yarmouk since the Syrian army laid a siege on the camp after fighting broke out between opponents and supporters of the Syrian government there. The nearly seven-month blockade caused famine, claiming over a hundred lives.

Former Cuban president Fidel Castro says al-Qaeda terrorists have been engineered in order to advance the Bush administration's agenda. In an essay published on Sunday, Castro said the terrorist group "was born from the empire's own entrails", using the term "empire" to refer to the United States. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration vowed to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who has reportedly taken responsibility for the deadly attacks on US soils. "[Al-Qaeda] is a typical example of an enemy that the hegemonic power dangles in a place of its choosing where it needs to justify its actions, as it has done throughout its history, fabricating enemies and attacks destined to strengthen its plans of domination," the former Cuban leader argued. According to Castro, the American public has been mislead by the US government about the real extent of the terrorist attacks in 2001. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has also suggested that Washington could have been somehow involved in the planning of the attacks. In the aftermath of the attacks, the White House launched the 'War on Terror' in a bid to disband al-Qaeda. While many civilians have been killed since the 2001 invasions of Afghanistan, followed by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US has failed to achieve its objectives in the region. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program called "Operation Cyclone" is reportedly responsible for the creation of the terrorist group, when the CIA funded native Afghan militants in the conflict with the Soviet Union. The al-Qaeda leader is reportedly planning a new terror attack against the US as President-elect Barack Obama takes office from the incumbent president, George W. Bush. Earlier this month, a source close to the group claimed that Bin Laden is supervising preparations for another attack which will be far greater than those of 9/11. US Vice President-elect Joe Biden had warned in October that Obama would face an international crisis early in his presidency

As Israeli troops close in on Gaza City, clashes with various Palestinian fighters intensify. Sameh Habeeb, a photojournalist based in Gaza City, reports, shortages of water, food, gas and fuel have left many with nothing but what they have stored from before the attack began. Habeeb says the Israeli army has been warning Palestinians to evacuate in advance of bombings, but explains that for the majority of the people, they have nowhere to go. While Habeeb was describing the mushrooming humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, his house was being shelled by the unending violence between the IDF and the Hamas forces. Sameh Habeeb is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories. He worked previously as a producer for Ramattan News Agency.

Saudi authorities have warned against a campaign to give women the right to drive in the conservative kingdom. The warning comes as Saudi female activists are gearing up against a long-standing driving ban, with more defiant women already getting behind the wheel. More than 50 videos showing Saudi women driving have been posted online over the past two weeks. A video, which went viral on the Internet this month, shows a fully veiled woman driving in the capital Riyadh as passing drivers give her a thumbs-up. Under the slogan, Women\'s Driving is a Choice, female activists have called for a demonstration on Saturday against the ban in the country. One Saudi woman by the name of Manal al-Sharif, who was put behind bars a couple of year ago for posting a video of herself while driving, says Saudi women are determined to drive.

Those opposing the ouster of Egypt\'s former president Mohamed Morsi have held new protests, calling for him to be reinstated. In recent days, universities in Egypt have been the scene of frequent demonstrations against Morsi\'s overthrow. Protests against the military has led to violence on many occasions which have left hundreds of peopled dead.

Human Rights Watch says Bahraini security forces have often used disproportionate amounts of tear gas in their crackdown on anti-regime protests. The rights group cites a document released by a Bahrain rights watch which says the Interior Ministry issued a tender back in June for supplies of one-point-six million tear gas canisters and 145000 stun grenades. The number of tear gas shells appears to be greater than the country\'s population of 1-point-2 million of which nearly 560-thousand are Bahraini nationals. This means that almost three tear gas canisters have been bought for every Bahraini civilian. South Korea and a joint South African-German company are the main suppliers of tear gas to the Persian Gulf kingdom, which has been cracking down on peaceful protests since early 2011. Bahraini protesters have been seeking the downfall of the ruling Al Khalifah monarchy.

More tensions along the border between India and Pakistan; at least a dozen people have been injured as the two sides exchange fire over the Kashmir border. Several children were among those injured. The fresh round of violence started at border posts along the frontier on Thursday. Pakistani officials have accused Indian troops of initiating the violence by firing along the frontier and injuring two people. Similarly, India has accused the Pakistani side of violating the ceasefire by firing mortars on at least 50 Indian border posts. Skirmishes along the border have intensified despite the first face-to-face meeting between the Pakistani prime minister and his Indian counterpart in New York last month.

Local Turkish media have reported that the gendarme forces which are a branch of the military in control of civilian incidents have sent a letter to the Turkish Interior Ministry warning of possible attacks by al-Qaeda militants. Local media also say Turkish authorities have warned police and gendarme forces throughout the country about such attacks.

Scores of people have been injured as riot police in Bangladesh used tear gas and rubber bullets against opposition supporters on the third and final day of a general strike. A senior officer was seriously injured in the capital Dhaka when protesters hurled a small explosive device at a group of riot police. At least 16 people have been killed in political violence since Friday. The main opposition party led by former premier Khaleda Zia, who has close relations with military leaders, is demanding that a caretaker administration oversee an election scheduled for January. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instead proposed an all-party interim government led by her to oversee the January polls. She says previous caretaker governments have paved the way for a military coup.

Yemen\'s interior ministry says at least five people have been killed in the latest US drone strikes hitting the country\'s south. Yemeni officials say the drone strikes targeted suspected al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province on Thursday. The US has carried out dozens of such strikes in the Arab nation over the past year, killing dozens of people. Washington claims the attacks target militants, but evidence on the ground shows many of the victims have been civilians. Yemenis have staged numerous protests to condemn the deadly drone strikes.

Fresh crackdown in Bahrain. Regime forces have arrested yet another prominent female rights activist and lawyer there. Amira al-Bahrani was abducted during a nighttime raid on her house in the city of Sanabis. We do not have any information about why she was arrested or her whereabouts. 7 other activists were also detained by regime forces in separate raids in A\'ali area near the capital Manama. No further details have been provided about those raids either. The Al Khalifah regime is under fire for its harsh crackdown on rights activists and pro-democracy protesters. The kingdom has been gripped by anti-monarchy rallies since February 2011.

Fresh crackdown in Bahrain. Regime forces have arrested yet another prominent female rights activist and lawyer there. Amira al-Bahrani was abducted during a nighttime raid on her house in the city of Sanabis. We do not have any information about why she was arrested or her whereabouts. 7 other activists were also detained by regime forces in separate raids in A\'ali area near the capital Manama. No further details have been provided about those raids either. The Al Khalifah regime is under fire for its harsh crackdown on rights activists and pro-democracy protesters. The kingdom has been gripped by anti-monarchy rallies since February 20-11.

Militancy on the rise in Egypt\'s northern Sinai. Eleven soldiers have been killed and nearly 40 others injured in an attack in the coastal city of el-Arish. The Egyptian soldiers were killed when a bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into their bus on its way to the capital Cairo. Officials say the soldiers belonged to the Second Field Army that\'s fighting militants in the Sinai Peninsula. No person or group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack yet. Tensions in Sinai have been on the rise following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi by the army in early July. Militants have mainly targeted policemen, soldiers and politicians. One of the deadliest attacks happened back in August when militants pulled 25 police recruits off a bus and shot them dead on the main road linking Rafah to el-Arish

Militancy on the rise in Egypt\'s northern Sinai. Eleven soldiers have been killed and nearly 40 others injured in an attack in the coastal city of el-Arish. The Egyptian soldiers were killed when a bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into their bus on its way to the capital Cairo. Officials say the soldiers belonged to the Second Field Army that\'s fighting militants in the Sinai Peninsula. No person or group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack yet. Tensions in Sinai have been on the rise following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi by the army in early July. Militants have mainly targeted policemen, soldiers and politicians. One of the deadliest attacks happened back in August when militants pulled 25 police recruits off a bus and shot them dead on the main road linking Rafah to el-Arish.

Pakistani officials have strongly condemned a deadly US drone attack in the country\'s north-west. Pakistan\'s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that such attacks are a violation of the country\'s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also said the airstrikes have negative impacts on Islamabad\'s efforts to bring peace to the country. The statement was issued after a US drone attack on a seminary killed at least six people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The US carries out assassination drone strikes in several Muslim countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. It claims they target militants but many civilians have lost their lives so far in the air raids.

In France, farmers have protested rising taxes by blocking roads around the capital Paris. The angry farmers say they are fed up with what they call over-taxation. This they say includes the so-called \"eco-tax\" placed on road freights. The farmers believe the measure will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs. Some are also against a government decision to focus on EU subsidies on poorer livestock farmers. Rising taxes have been a source of growing anger in France. Several violent anti-tax protests have erupted throughout the country during the past weeks. At least one fireman was killed in one of the incidents.

Rights groups have slammed israel for its mistreatment of Palestinian children. They say Israeli forces have arrested a 13-year-old Palestinian boy and tortured him in custody.

Another day of bloodshed in Iraq. At least 21 people have been killed as a car bomb went off in the country\'s northeast. The blast hit a café in the town of Buhriz some 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. Nearly two-dozen people have reportedly been injured. Just yesterday, about 40 Iraqis were killed in blasts in and around Baghdad. The attacks targeted mostly Shia areas. Violence has been surging across Iraq in recent months. According to UN estimates, more than six-thousand people have lost their lives this year alone. Monday\'s attack brings to more than 130 the death toll since the beginning of December.

Bahraini regime forces have arrested several people after they filed official notice of peaceful protests in the Persian Gulf Kingdom. The main opposition group al-Wefaq says that at least three people were arrested after they gave authorities the required official request for a mass protest organized by opposition parties. Al-Wefaq condemned the move, saying authorities are using their power to punish the individuals through arrest. Bahrain has been rocked by anti-regime demonstrations since February 2011. The protesters have been calling for the downfall of the regime. Dozens of people have been killed and a large number of demonstrators arrested in the crackdown since then.

Thousands of Yemenis have held demonstrations over the deteriorating security situation in the country. In Sana\'a, huge crowds took to the streets after Friday Prayers. The protesters criticized the government for failing to protect the nation from persistent attacks and targeted assassinations. A demonstration was also held in the western city of Saada. Yemen has been hit by a wave of shootings and assassination attempts on political and security officials over the past year. Over 90 army officers and security officials have been assassinated by unidentified gunmen in the past seven months. Earlier this month, an attack on a hospital inside the country\'s defense ministry left scores of people dead and wounded. In addition, many foreign journalists and diplomats have been kidnapped and held for ransom by gunmen.

Egyptian security forces have fired tear gas at dozens of university students outside their Cairo campus. The violence broke out when the students tried to reach the nearby Defense Ministry building. Dozens of students pelted security forces with rocks, while some picked up tear gas canisters and threw them back. The students were demonstrating outside Ain Shams University in eastern Cairo as part of a widening protest movement at universities against the military-backed government. With these actions, supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi have been keeping up the pressure on the authorities. Demonstrations have been held at Al-Azhar University and the University of Cairo in recent months.

Egyptian security forces have fired tear gas at dozens of university students outside their Cairo campus. The violence broke out when the students tried to reach the nearby Defense Ministry building. Dozens of students pelted security forces with rocks, while some picked up tear gas canisters and threw them back. The students were demonstrating outside Ain Shams University in eastern Cairo as part of a widening protest movement at universities against the military-backed government. With these actions, supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi have been keeping up the pressure on the authorities. Demonstrations have been held at Al-Azhar University and the University of Cairo in recent months.

In Afghanistan, militants have attacked a US military base in the eastern Nangarhar province. Local sources say the attack took place in the town of Torkham near the Pakistan border. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack and say several American soldiers were killed. Our correspondent in Kabul, Fayez Khorshid says US forces have turned into the Taliban\'s main target in recent weeks.

A new report says nearly eleven thousand militants from over seventy countries have teamed up with al-Qaeda-linked insurgents to fight the Syrian government. According to the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, the figure includes those currently on the ground plus the ones have since returned home, or been arrested or killed. The report shows that Arabs and Europeans, mainly from Britain and France, make up the bulk of foreign militants, with eighty percent. Meanwhile, the British media have released a footage of a brigade of fighters in Syria who are all British.