Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Turkey's military operation in Syria could lead to the revival of the Islamic State group in the region.

Putin said Kurds who were guarding thousands of imprisoned IS fighters are now fleeing.

Gaza's Hamas rulers are facing a rare and growing chorus of criticism, with little to show after 18 months of mass protests along the Israeli frontier organized by the Palestinian militant group.

The mass protests at the frontier with Israel were meant to draw attention to the plight of the territory's 2 million people. When the protests began, Hamas quickly seized upon the popular idea and transformed the quiet gatherings into violent confrontations.

Turkish and allied forces faced stiff Kurdish resistance on Friday as they battled to seize key Syrian border towns, on the third day of a broad offensive that has sparked a civilian exodus.

Deadly protests in Iraq have exposed a rift within the country's Shiite political factions benefiting hardliners ready to embrace authoritarianism, experts say. 

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed his "deep concern" at the spiraling violence in Syria a day after Turkey launched an offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas.

Amnesty International on Thursday accused Egyptian authorities of torturing detained activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, denouncing what it described as the use of "extreme brutality" to crush dissent.

The five European members of the U.N. Security Council called Thursday for Turkey to halt its offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces.

Tunisian presidential hopeful Nabil Karoui said Thursday he will "wage battle and win" a weekend runoff against a political newcomer, a day after the business tycoon was released from jail.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators said Wednesday they have agreed on far-reaching sanctions to be slapped on NATO ally Turkey if its forces do not withdraw from neighboring Syria.

Syria's Kurds battled to hold off a Turkish invasion on Thursday as thousands of civilians fled air strikes and shelling that deepened fears of a humanitarian crisis.