Armed conflict and attacks
Azerbaijan law enforcement agencies launch a special operation against Islamists in Nardaran, a suburb in the capital Baku. (Tass)
A pipe bomb explodes on a Bayrampaşa overpass near the city's central metro station in suburban Istanbul, Turkey leaving five people injured. (The Guardian), (The Atlantic), (BBC)
Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
The Lebanese Army and the al-Nusra Front conduct a prisoner exchange with Saja Dulaimi, former wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, being one of the prisoners released. The exchange was brokered by Qatar. (Al-Jazeera), (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL, American-led intervention in Iraq
The Iraqi government, via state TV, requests all civilians leave the ISIL-held city of Ramadi in Anbar province, after several days of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against ISIL. Observers speculate this request precedes major ground operations to retake Ramadi, which fell to ISIL in May. (Deutsche Welle)
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, the Obama Administration is preparing to establish a new Special Operations task force of about 200 service members in Iraq to intensify pressure on Islamic State commanders and expand U.S. troops’ direct involvement in battling the militant group. There are now about 3,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, including some Special Operations forces who are advising Iraqi forces in northern and central Iraq. (The Washington Post), (The Hill)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
A major push by Yemen-based Houthi forces into the kingdom's southern Najran Region kills dozens of Houthi fighters. The Houthi-run Saba News Agency says that Houthi fighters have seized three Saudi military outposts near the city of Najran, destroying several armored vehicles, including two U.S.-made M1 Abrams tanks and three Bradley vehicles. (Reuters)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
U. N. attack helicopters launch strikes against positions of Allied Democratic Forces. This comes a day after a series of clashes between rebels and soldiers in a town in eastern Congo killed at least 30 people. (AFP via Yahoo), (Reuters), (Press TV)
Arts and culture
So called "White Student Unions" begin springing up at several Australian universities, including the University of Queensland, University of Southern Queensland, University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University, Western Sydney University, University of New South Wales and the University of Western Australia. The groups say they are defending the interests of white students who they say are becoming marginalized from on-campus life and politics. (News Corp Australia)