Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook answers questions from reporters. In a departure from its previous assessments, the US Defense Department has acknowledged that Russia’s air campaign was concentrated on the Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group in Syria. Russia gave the US advance notice before launching airstrikes on Daesh positions in the Syrian city of Raqqah, the group’s de facto capital, Pentagon... 

Two US B-52 strategic bombers have flown near Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea, ignoring calls to “get away” from Beijing’s airspace, the Pentagon said, claiming the “routine mission” was in accordance with international treaties. The Pentagon points out that it regards the flights near the Chinese manmade islands as fully legitimate because from a US point of view, the...