Merkel Hollande promises more help in the anti-terror fight

Iraq, Syria, Libya - in these countries is raging the terrorist militia "Islamic State" particularly brutal. In Iraq, the situation remains tense. In Syria, the Assad regime has lost territories to the IS, however, is fighting now Russia on the side of the Syrian ruler.



The facts: thousands of people fleeing from the terror of radical Islamists in Europe. An international coalition is flying air attacks on IS-positions. Russia now flies bombings in Syria - According to the Kremlin alone against terrorists. However, Syrian activists beat alarm: So Moscow is fighting specifically against Assad opponents who do not belong terrorist organization. A wave of terror has shaken Paris - allegedly were IS-fighters the masterminds.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said French President Francois Hollande still provided further help in the anti-terror fight in prospect. "If the French president asks me to think about what we can do more, then the task is for us to think about it," said Merkel on Wednesday evening at a meeting with Hollande in Paris. "We will react very quickly here." Without going into details, Merkel said: "The Islamic state must be fought by military means." 

Earlier, the chancellor had thought along with Hollande of the victims of the terrorist attacks of 13 November and lays down a flower in the French capital at the Republic Square. The site is located near the concert hall "Bataclan" and several other crime scenes series of murders with 130 dead. 

In order to relieve the French forces in the anti-terror fight, should according to an announcement by Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU will in future be stationed up to 650 German soldiers in the West African Mali). In addition to the number of German soldiers that form in northern Iraq Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, be increased from 100 to 150th 

Hollande welcomed the German plans. At the same time he said: "If Germany could go on, that would be a very good signal

Russian and Turkish ministers to meet over downed jet

The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey have spoken to each other about Tuesday's downing of the Russian military jet, deciding to meet in the coming days to discuss the situation on Turkey's border with Syria.

Describing the shooting down of the jet Tuesday as a "planned act", Russia's Sergey Lavrov said the incident could not go without reaction, according to news wires.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke by phone with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, agreeing to meet in the coming days, a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters.

"In their discussion, agreement was reached to share details on the matter via diplomatic and military channels," spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in an e-mailed statement seen by Reuters.


News of the conversation came after Russia announced it was planning to strengthen its military base in Syria by installing an air defense system in Syria and vowed to continue airstrikes near Turkey's border.

Russia's decision to continue risky operations close to the Syria-Turkey border, reportedly on rebel groups who oppose Syrian President Bashar Assad, comes despite the downing of one of its warplanes by Turkey on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed Turkey's actions, which led to the death of one of the Russian pilots, and said Moscow would send an S-400 air defense system to a Russian airbase in Syria "to ensure the safety of our flights."

Despite the SU-24 fighter jet being shot down on the Turkey-Syria border, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the country would continue airstrikes near the Turkish border, Reuters reported.

The SU-24 warplane downed Tuesday was believed to have been targeting an anti-Assad rebel group, which is supported by Turkey.

"We would like for the terrorists and militants to keep further away from the Turkish border, but unfortunately they tend to be situated on the Syrian territory close to the Turkish border," Peskov told journalists on a conference call.

The latest comments from Putin come amid a war of words between Turkey and Russia with Turkey's prime minister reiterating earlier comments from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey wouldn't hesitate to defend itself.

Erdogan had tried to calm tensions between Turkey and Russia on Wednesday, saying Turkey did not want any escalation after it shot down the Russian fighter jet, but said Turkey had acted simply to defend its own security and the "rights of our brothers" in Syria.

Speaking at business event in Istanbul, Erdogan said the jet had been fired at while in Turkish airspace but had crashed inside Syria, although some parts of the plane landed in Turkey and injured two Turkish citizens.

Earlier, the U.S. said it believed that the Russian jet shot down by Turkey on Tuesday was hit inside Syrian airspace after a brief incursion into Turkish airspace, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said that assessment was based on detection of the heat signature of the jet.

Following Erdogan's comments on Wednesday, Putin also slammed Turkey's leadership, saying it deliberately supported the "Islamisation" of its country, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

The White House said that U.S. President Barack Obama and Erdogan spoke by phone on Tuesday about the need to de-escalate tensions with Russia.

Obama expressed "U.S. and NATO support for Turkey's right to defend its sovereignty," the White House said in a statement.

"The leaders agreed on the importance of de-escalating the situation and pursuing arrangements to ensure that such incidents do not happen again," the statement said.

5 Fast Facts You Need to Know about Amanda Blackburn:

A teen has been arrested in the rape and murder of a pregnant pastor’s wife in Indiana during a home invasion, police say.

Amanda Blackburn, 28, was shot November 10 while she was trying to protect her 1-year-old son, who was sleeping in her home when the break-in occurred. Blackburn was found by her husband, Davey Blackburn, and died two days later.

Police say 18-year-old Larry Taylor was arrested November 23 on a preliminary charge of murder. Two other suspects, Jalen Watson and Diano Gordon, are also in custody, but have not yet been charged, Fox 59 reports.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The Suspects Entered the Home Through an Unlocked Door



According to the news station, police have recovered the gun used in the shooting, along with ATM receipts and other evidence. One of the suspects is cooperating with detectives, Fox 59 reports.

“Though it does not undo the pain we are feeling, I was extremely relieved to get the news of the arrest made last night of Amanda’s killer,” Davey Blackburn said in a statement. “The investigators have assured me they have a solidly-built case to ensure justice is levied and the process is expedited. The family and I couldn’t be more thankful for the level of compassion and professionalism the IMPD and investigators have shown us through the last couple of weeks.”

Davey Blackburn added:

Though everything inside of me wants to hate, be angry, and slip into despair I choose the route of forgiveness, grace and hope. If there is one thing I’ve learned from Amanda in the 10 years we were together, it’s this: Choosing to let my emotions drive my decisions is recipe for a hopeless and fruitless life. Today I am deciding to love, not hate. Today I am deciding to extend forgiveness, not bitterness. Today I am deciding to hope, not despair. By Jesus’ power at work within us, the best is STILL yet to come. Even when I don’t see it, I believe it to be true.

2. Blackburn’s Grieving Husband Spoke Out to Ask for Help Finding Her Killers



Davey Blackburn spoke out on national TV about his wife, in hopes that someone would come forward about the killings.

“She loved the people who were unlovable, gave hope to people who didn’t have hope, didn’t think they had a future,” Davey Blackburn told Good Morning America. “Amanda didn’t have an enemy in the world.”

Blackburn said in a statement, “Amanda made it her life’s calling to love and serve everyone she knew. Even more, she has made it her life’s mission to see as many people as possible come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. I know that in her death and legacy even more people will come to a saving faith in Christ. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt her desire for me would be to continue what we’ve started here in Indy. I hold firm to the belief that God is still good, that He takes our tragedy and turns it into triumph, and that the best truly is yet to come.”

3. She & Her Husband Founded a Church After Moving to Indianapolis

Amanda and Davey Blackburn, both the children of pastors, moved from South Carolina to Indianapolis in 2012 and founded Resonate Church, according to its website.

They said the moved “with a dream and a calling to start a life-giving church that would connect with people who normally wouldn’t connect with church. Resonate’s vision is to connect people to life-change and see a contagious movement of God spread throughout Indianapolis.”

Davey Blackburn was previously on the staff at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, for four years. Amanda Blackburn was the daughter of Phil Byars, the lead pastor at First Baptist Church in Elkhart, Indiana, according to the Elkhart Truth.

Amanda Blackburn graduated from Elkhart Christian Academy in 2006 and the Pensacola Christian College in 2008. She married her husband in 2008 and they had their first son, Weston, in 2014, according to her obituary.

4. She Created #ForIndy to Inspire Acts of Kindness in Indianapolis

Amanda Blackburn and her husband created a hashtag campaign, #ForIndy, to inspire acts of kindness in Indianapolis.

We really believe it takes a lot of people, an entire city, a whole movement to become for each other and for the city,” Davey Blackburn said last August. “We just didn’t want to be a church that was known for protests, that was known for picketing. We wanted to be a church that was known for what we’re for.”

Amanda Blackburn’s Twitter feed is filled with posts about the acts of kindness she and her husband made as part of the campaign.

5. The Suspects Reportedly Called Themselves ‘The Kill Gang’

According to Fox 59, the suspects, 18-year-old Larry Taylor, 21-year-old Jalen Watson and 24-year-old Diano Gordan, called themselves “The Kill Gang.”

Gordan and Watson are being held on parole violations.

The news station reports that detectives have possibly linked the trio to a previous rape and robbery at another apartment building in Indianapolis, where they were living. Two of the suspects are also believed to be responsible for a third burglary and car theft