The city of Diala (Iraq) during the fighting between the Iraqi troops and jihadists. In the foreground - the flag of the "Islamic state" The Spanish Enclave of Seuta in northern Africa has become a fertile place for those who recover jihadists In Spain, consideration of the high -profile case of 11 members of the group, which was recruiting young Muslims to participate in hostilities in Syria and Iraq, continues. The prosecutor's office requires them from 10 to 12 years in prison.

Earlier on December 15, hostages were captured in a cafe in Sydney (Australia) In the Belgian city, Gent Police freed the hostage , captured today by unknown in the apartment of a residential building. He was not injured. As a result of the assault, three invaders were detained. There were no weapons with them. Earlier it was reported that there were four attackers. According to Belgian television, referring to the neighbors, the mentioned apartment was used by drug dealers.

Alexey Kudrin: There is something to think about Freedom quotes on December 15, 2014 Liveblog about discussions on the network Fresh from above 17:51 12/15/2014 Real Kalyapin, conditional Kadyrov. Moscow journalism, compromises and hatred. Life is beautiful and amazing. Nightmare Geopolitics This is what the apartment in which was our office.

Hundreds of Australian police surrounded a cafe in Sydney where at least one armed man took staff and customers hostage on December 15. Five people managed to flee the cafe. Police said they were in touch with a hostage taker, and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the man had claimed "a political motivation." A black Islamic flag was displayed in a window of the cafe. (Reuters)

Russia's ambassadors were called up to the Russian Foreign Ministry and Denmark today-to give explanations about the dangerous rapprochement on Friday in the sky near the southern coast of Sweden of the Russian reconnaissance aircraft and passenger ship.

The leadership of the Leningrad region is ready to sue Rosprirodnadzor because of the local "chemical Chernobyl" The largest landfill in the north-west of Russia for the placement and disposal of toxic waste "Red Bor", which has long developed its resource, received a new license to reception and processing of waste.

Investigative insulator in Donetsk. Photo taken on December 11, 2014 Absolutely all locals are afraid to get here: from an action movie to the "Minister of the DPR" There is no such person living in the territory controlled by the “DPR” and “LPR” who would not know the second, specific meaning of the word “pit”. This is the name of the prison and torture cameras, into which separatists can send any not liked person. "On the pits" are kept not only by prisoners of war.

Capitol building in Washington, in which the US Congress works The United States managed to avoid the financial budget crisis, the new budget was sent to the president The US Congress last weekend approved the country's state budget for 2015, the financial year. A document providing for allocations in the amount of 1 trillion $ 100 billion was sent for signature to President Barack Obama.

Evgeny Mezdrikov In Novosibirsk, the police detained the suspects in the attack on the editor-in-chief of the Internet publication Taiga.info Evgenia Mezdarikova. A criminal case has been opened under the article "Beatings". According to the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region, the detainees have already given a confession.

Rene Magritte. Photo portrait of the work of Lotar Vollekh The peaks of the year: Magritte, futurism, cowboys Alexander Genis: Saying goodbye from 2014 and, as usual, summing up the results of his cultural achievements, today we will remind of our listening about the three best exhibitions of the year, held in the three best museums in New York.

Yuri Shutov The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) confirmed the death in the Bely Lebed colony in the Perm Territory on December 12, Yuri Shutov, an ex-deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, the former assistant to the mayor of this city Anatoly Sobchak. According to TASS in the press service of the FSIN, the death of 68-year-old Shutov was not criminal. "Shutov, given his age, had some health problems. He died of a heart attack," the agency said in a Persian service.

Says an employee of the Grozny Mobile Group of the Committee against torture Sergey Babinets

Universal strike in Belgium; The flag of one of the trade unions (December 15, 2014) In Belgium on Monday, a general strike is held in protest against pension reform and reduction of budget expenditures. About 600 flights, most high -speed trains were canceled, the movement of sea vessels, local vehicles, trams and metro were violated, and hundreds of plants and institutions were closed.