Aid workers who reached a besieged Syrian town spoke of "heartbreaking" conditions being endured by emaciated and starving residents, with hundreds in need of special medical help, Reuters report.
"It's really heartbreaking to see the situation of the people," said Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"A while ago I was just approached by a little girl and her first question was did you bring food ... we are really hungry."
Jews in the French city of Marseilles are warned against wearing skullcaps after an attack on a Jewish teacher yesterday, AFP reports.
The teacher, 35, sustained light injuries after a teenage assailant attacked him in what police called an "antisemitic act."
The teenager said that the attack was "for the Islamic State group," the prosecutor in Marseilles said.
Turkey analyst Aaron Stein has these comments about the suicide bombing in Istanbul today.
IS militants in the town of Bin Jawad in Libya have killed five Libyans, Libya's Al Wasat is reporting.
The five men were reportedly killed in Bin Jawad's public square on January 11 on charges of collaborating with Libya's military.
IS overran Bin Jawad on January 4.
Turkish President Erdogan has criticized Russia's intervention in Syria, saying that Moscow is laying the groundwork to create a "boutique" state in Syria around the northern province of Latakia, including by carrying out attacks against ethnic Turkomans there.
Erdogan's comments came as Syrian government forces advanced into the rebel stronghold of Salma in Latakia today.
The United States has backtracked on its position over Syria, softening its stance to accommodate Russia, opposition coordinator Riad Hijab has said, Reuters reports.
Hijab was chosen in December as coordinator of the opposition negotiating body for future peace talks with the Syrian government.
Syria's Istanbul-based opposition coalition, the National Coalition, has condemned the suicide bombing in Sultanahmet Square in an online statement.
All of the people killed in this morning's suicide bombing in Istanbul were foreign nationals, Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu has said.