Protests in Christian neighborhoods of Syria's capital city erupted after a Christmas tree was set ablaze weeks after the downfall of the nation's longtime dictatorship, according to multiple reports.

Protests have broken out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree, prompting calls for the new Islamist authorities to take steps to protect minorities. A video posted on social media showed the tree on fire in the main square of Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in central Syria.

After a video of a Christmas tree on fire in Syria emerged online, thousands took to the streets in the capital on Dec. 23, demanding protection for Christians.

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on Monday in Syria, where they killed a pair of ISIS operatives, wounded another and destroyed a truckload of weapons.

The United States, US military has said that it killed two fighters from the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria and wounded another. “The terrorists were moving a truckload of weapons which were destroyed during the strike.

A Russian-flagged cargo vessel has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion in its engine room, Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Fourteen crew members were rescued, but two were missing,

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between the Spanish city of Águilas and Algeria's Oran after an onboard explosion. Source: Spanish media outlet La Verdad, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Spanish maritime rescue service transported 14 crew members to the port of Cartagena,