Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia had not withdrawn from a planned "safe zone" in northeast <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-to-launch-military-operation-in-northeast-syria-254000">Syria </a>despite Turkey's agreements with the United States and Russia.

Turkey struck two separate deals with the United States and Russia for the YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist group, to withdraw from the "safe zone" it plans to form in northeastern Syria.

While Washington and Moscow have said the fighters left, Erdogan has said this was not the case.

Speaking to lawmakers from his AK Party in Ankara, Erdogan said YPG fighters remained in Tel Rifaat, Manbij and to the east of Ras al Ain, which Turkey targeted in its latest incursion.

He also said Turkey would abide by its deals as long as the United States and Russia kept their own promises.

He later told reporters in parliament that US&nbsp;forces were still holding joint patrols with the YPG inside the 30-km border strip from which the militia was meant to withdraw.

"How can we explain America holding patrols with terrorist organisations in this region even though they made the decision to withdraw? This is not in our agreement," he said.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group tied to militants who have waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US&nbsp;support for the YPG, which was the main ally in the fight against the Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia had not withdrawn from a planned "safe zone" in northeast Syria despite Turkey's agreements with the United States and Russia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia had not withdrawn from a planned "safe zone" in northeast Syria despite Turkey's agreements with the United States and Russia. Turkey struck two separate deals with the United States and Russia for the YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist group, to withdraw from the "safe zone" it plans to form in northeastern Syria. While Washington and Moscow have said the fighters left, Erdogan has said this was not the case. Speaking to lawmakers from his AK Party in Ankara, Erdogan said YPG fighters remained in Tel Rifaat, Manbij and to the east of Ras al Ain, which Turkey targeted in its latest incursion. He also said Turkey would abide by its deals as long as the United States and Russia kept their own promises. He later told reporters in parliament that US forces were still holding joint patrols with the YPG inside the 30-km border strip from which the militia was meant to withdraw. "How can we explain America holding patrols with terrorist organisations in this region even though they made the decision to withdraw? This is not in our agreement," he said. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group tied to militants who have waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US support for the YPG, which was the main ally in the fight against the Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey.

Kurdish fighters have not left Syria 'safe zone' despite US, Russia deals: Erdogan

Turkey-Russia begin joint patrolling across Northern Syria

The United States plans to allow Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue&nbsp;work&nbsp;at&nbsp;Iranian nuclear facilities to make it harder for&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;to develop a nuclear weapon, two&nbsp;sources&nbsp;familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration, which last year pulled out of the 2015&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;nuclear deal and re-imposed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-iran-tensions-ratchet-up-further-despite-un-efforts-252293">sanctions on&nbsp;Iran</a>, will let the&nbsp;work&nbsp;go forward by issuing&nbsp;waivers&nbsp;to sanctions that bar&nbsp;non-US&nbsp;firms from dealing with the Atomic Energy Organization of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;(AEOI), said the&nbsp;sources&nbsp;on condition of anonymity.

While the&nbsp;waivers'&nbsp;renewal would allow&nbsp;non-proliferation&nbsp;work&nbsp;to continue at the Arak heavy water research reactor and the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, which AEOI oversees, it may also signal that Washington is leaving the door open to diplomacy.

Under the 2015 deal between&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions that had crippled its economy.

When&nbsp;US&nbsp;President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal in May 2018, he <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-new-us-sanctions-target-iranians-access-to-food-medicine-250961">re-imposed&nbsp;US&nbsp;sanctions</a> in a "maximum pressure" campaign designed to force&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;to return to the negotiating table.

Trump wants a broader deal that would also limit&nbsp;Iran's missile program as well as its regional activities;&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;has demanded the United States first resume complying with the 2015 deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

France, in particular, has sought to bring the two into a wider dialogue but has so far failed, suggesting neither is yet willing to abandon core elements of policy: the&nbsp;US&nbsp;belief that pressure will bring&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;to its knees, and&nbsp;Iran's refusal to capitulate to&nbsp;US&nbsp;duress.

Under the 2015 deal, the Arak reactor was to be redesigned to render it unable to make bomb-grade plutonium under normal operation, while the Fordow plant was to stop enriching uranium and be converted into a nuclear, physics and technology center.

Chinese state-owned China National Nuclear Corp has done&nbsp;non-proliferation&nbsp;work&nbsp;at Arak, and Russia's Rosatom has done it at Fordow. Rosatom has also provided uranium fuel for&nbsp;Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The&nbsp;US&nbsp;State Department had no immediate comment. Rosatom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A China National Nuclear Corp spokesman told Reuters on Thursday by email that it was "starting to cooperate with the&nbsp;Iranian side under guidance from Beijing on seeking a positive solution to the&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;nuclear problem". It did not provide further details.

The United States plans to allow Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue work at Iranian nuclear facilities to make it harder for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The United States plans to allow Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue work at Iranian nuclear facilities to make it harder for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Trump administration, which last year pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, will let the work go forward by issuing waivers to sanctions that bar non-US firms from dealing with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the sources on condition of anonymity. While the waivers' renewal would allow non-proliferation work to continue at the Arak heavy water research reactor and the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, which AEOI oversees, it may also signal that Washington is leaving the door open to diplomacy. Under the 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions that had crippled its economy. When US President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal in May 2018, he re-imposed US sanctions in a "maximum pressure" campaign designed to force Iran to return to the negotiating table. Trump wants a broader deal that would also limit Iran's missile program as well as its regional activities; Iran has demanded the United States first resume complying with the 2015 deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. France, in particular, has sought to bring the two into a wider dialogue but has so far failed, suggesting neither is yet willing to abandon core elements of policy: the US belief that pressure will bring Iran to its knees, and Iran's refusal to capitulate to US duress. Under the 2015 deal, the Arak reactor was to be redesigned to render it unable to make bomb-grade plutonium under normal operation, while the Fordow plant was to stop enriching uranium and be converted into a nuclear, physics and technology center. Chinese state-owned China National Nuclear Corp has done non-proliferation work at Arak, and Russia's Rosatom has done it at Fordow. Rosatom has also provided uranium fuel for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. The US State Department had no immediate comment. Rosatom did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A China National Nuclear Corp spokesman told Reuters on Thursday by email that it was "starting to cooperate with the Iranian side under guidance from Beijing on seeking a positive solution to the Iran nuclear problem". It did not provide further details.

US to renew waivers allowing non-proliferation work with Iran: Report

Russia's Bulava: Most dangerous nuclear powered submarine-launched ICBM

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India.

The visit scheduled to start from November 5 is coming at a time when the two countries are pushing for tie-ups and partnership between Indian and Russian companies for the production of spares and equipment for the Indian forces.

"The Defence Minister is visiting Russia for the India Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Commission with his Russian counterpart where the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of defence and technology ties between them and ways to further expanding this cooperation," Defence officials said here.

The high level delegation scheduled to go there have the who's who of the defence bureaucracy including Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary (Defence Production) Subhash Chandra and DG Acquisition Apoorva Chandra along with Joint Secretary Sanjay Jaju who is playing a key role in pushing Make in India in defence sector.

The defence industry representatives travelling with the Defence Ministry include top public and private sector companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Larsen and Toubro.

The new private sector entrants into the defence sector include Adani Industries.

India and Russia have had over five decades of defence partnership. Major Indian defence hardware including tanks, nuclear submarines and fighter aircraft are of Russian origin.

Despite India diversifying its equipment, the two countries are still engaged in defence trade of more than five billion dollars every year, including the S-400 air defence missile system and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

India and Russia have recently signed a deal for joint manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles at the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi.

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India.

In a bid to push 'Make in India', a large industry delegation would be travelling with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of November to Russia, which is the biggest supplier of defence equipment to India. The visit scheduled to start from November 5 is coming at a time when the two countries are pushing for tie-ups and partnership between Indian and Russian companies for the production of spares and equipment for the Indian forces. "The Defence Minister is visiting Russia for the India Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Commission with his Russian counterpart where the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of defence and technology ties between them and ways to further expanding this cooperation," Defence officials said here. The high level delegation scheduled to go there have the who's who of the defence bureaucracy including Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary (Defence Production) Subhash Chandra and DG Acquisition Apoorva Chandra along with Joint Secretary Sanjay Jaju who is playing a key role in pushing Make in India in defence sector. The defence industry representatives travelling with the Defence Ministry include top public and private sector companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Larsen and Toubro. The new private sector entrants into the defence sector include Adani Industries. India and Russia have had over five decades of defence partnership. Major Indian defence hardware including tanks, nuclear submarines and fighter aircraft are of Russian origin. Despite India diversifying its equipment, the two countries are still engaged in defence trade of more than five billion dollars every year, including the S-400 air defence missile system and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft. India and Russia have recently signed a deal for joint manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles at the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi.

To push make in India, large industry delegation to accompany Defence Minister to Russia

Russia offered guarded praise on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that US forces had killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but world leaders warned that the fight against the militant group was not over yet.

Russia offered guarded praise on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that US forces had killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but world leaders warned that the fight against the militant group was not over yet. Trump said on Sunday that Baghdadi had died "whimpering and crying" in a raid by US special forces in Syria, fulfilling his top national security goal. Baghdadi, who had led the jihadist group since 2010, killed himself by detonating a suicide vest after fleeing into a dead-end tunnel as US forces closed in, Trump said in a televised address from the White House. "He was a sick and depraved man and now he's gone," said Trump. "He died ... whimpering and crying and screaming." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say if the United States had told Russia about the operation in advance. But he added: "If this information is confirmed we can talk about a serious contribution by the president of the United States to the fight against international terrorism." World leaders and security officials welcomed Baghdadi's death but said the campaign against Islamic State was not over, with so-called lone wolves likely to seek revenge. French President Emmanuel Macron said Baghdadi's death was a major blow against Islamic State but "the fight continues to finally defeat this terrorist organisation". British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We will work with our coalition partners to bring an end to the murderous, barbaric activities of Daesh (Islamic State) once and for all." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters: "This is a many-headed monster ... As you cut one off, another one inevitably arises." In Southeast Asia, an important focus for Islamic State, officials said security forces were preparing for a long battle to thwart the group's ideology. The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, home to some of Asia's most organised Islamist militants, said they were braced for retaliation by Islamic State loyalists, including "lone wolf" attacks by radicalised locals. Capable and dangerous Though Baghdadi's death will unsettle Islamic State, it remains capable and dangerous, said Delfin Lorenzana, defence secretary of the Philippines, where the group's influence has taken hold in its troubled Mindanao region. "This is a blow to the organisation considering al-Baghdadi's stature as a leader. But this is just a momentary setback considering the depth and reach of the organisation worldwide," Lorenzana said. "Somebody will take his place." Islamic State has no declared successor as leader. But the group has in the past proved resilient, continuing to mount or inspire attacks in the region and beyond despite losing most of its territory in recent years. Baghdadi had long been sought by the United States - which offered a $25 million reward - as leader of a jihadist group that at one point controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, where it declared a caliphate. Islamic State has carried out atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of a fanatical version of Islam that horrified most Muslims. In their long hunt for Baghdadi, Iraqi intelligence teams secured a break in February 2018 after one of his top aides gave them information on how he escaped capture for so many years, two Iraqi security officials said. Baghdadi held strategy talks with his commanders in moving minibuses packed with vegetables in order to avoid detection, Ismael al-Ethawi told officials after he was arrested by Turkish authorities and handed to the Iraqis. "Ethawi gave valuable information which helped the Iraqi multi-security agencies team complete the missing pieces of the puzzle of Baghdadi's movements and places he used to hide," one of the Iraqi security officials said. Iraqi security officials said Kurdish intelligence agents had exchanged information with counterparts in Baghdad on the movements of Baghdadi and his aides in Syria. One of the Kurds' sources passed on a "golden tip" earlier this year. Suspicious movements were spotted by locals at house in a village in Syria, which was placed under surveillance and turned out to be the house used by Baghdadi, the Iraqi officials said. US pullback The raid on Baghdadi comes weeks after Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America's Kurdish allies as it sought to set up a "safe zone". Critics expressed concern at the abandoning of the Kurdish fighters who were instrumental in defeating Islamic State in Syria, and said the move might allow the group to regain strength and pose a threat to US interests. Trump said the raid would not change his decision to withdraw troops from Syria. But killing Baghdadi could help blunt those concerns, as well as boosting Trump domestically at a time when he is facing an impeachment inquiry in the US House of Representatives. Regional allies welcomed the operation, with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan saying it marked "a turning point in our joint fight against terrorism". Turkey's military was in intense coordination with U.S. counterparts on the night of the raid, a presidential spokesman said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising an "impressive achievement". Saudi Arabia also offered praise. Egypt, which is fighting militants loyal to Islamic State, said the killing of Baghdadi is "an important step towards eradicating terrorism". US foe Iran, which accuses the United States and its allies of creating Islamic State, was dismissive. Information Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, tweeted: "Not a big deal, You just killed your creature".

Russia guarded over Baghdadi killing, world leaders say fight goes on

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal.

Despite permission to enter the city, our vehicle’s driver is told to stop on a roadside and wait.

Strategic city

The Syrian troops crossed into Manbij earlier in October in accordance with the agreements between Damascus and the Kurdish administration. The decision was made very timely – after Ankara launched its offensive against Kurdish militia in northern Syria and pro-Turkish militant groups moved close to the suburbs of Manbij from the north and northwest. Local civilians were all set to flee in the fear of the looming assault.

The picture, however, changed overnight after Syrian heavy military equipment was deployed to the area and national flags were flown at the frontline.

Manbij is a strategic city. Before the war hit the country in 2011, the authorities mulled the possibility of creating a new province "Reef Aleppo," with the administrative centre in Manbij.

Its population today, according to various estimates, is from 600,000 to 800,000 people, coupled with the inhabitants of nearby villages.

The checkpoint at the city’s entrance is located on the M4 highway. Turkey aims to clear the 30-kilometre (18-mile) zone up to the M4 highway, which runs from Aleppo toward the Iraqi border.

Small columns of the Syrian military pass by from time to time.

"They are going to the north, toward Kobane, to strengthen their positions on the border. The army is deploying armoured vehicles and artillery. For the first time since the [2011] events hit this part of the country, the population again sees regular troops back," a Syrian reporter told a Sputnik correspondent.

‘Patchwork' Kurdish movement

Manbij clearly illustrates how Kurdish militias are fragmented, both here and in the entire northeast of Syria. The core is represented by the Self-Defense Forces. The Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and guerrilla groups of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are also present here.

"There is no central authority uniting all the formations. They coordinate among themselves. But each militia has their own bosses," a Kurdish guide, Abdi, explained.

The rest of the Manbij population is also rather heterogeneous. A small group of residents is considered a vanguard of sleeper cells of radical groups, including the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia).

"They represent a small part of the population. But they're dangerous," Abdi pointed out.

The first impression upon arriving in Manbij is that it is an absolutely peaceful city with rather well-functioning municipal services. Its streets are cleaner than in some areas of Aleppo. Many shops are open, with "cafe" signboards also seen across the city.

Residents stare at an unknown column of vehicles, with some of them waving their hands and the others just warily peering into vehicles’ windows.

Manbij is a largely Arab city. Kurds are a minority here; their number has, however, increased with the arrival of refugees from the area of the Turkish military operation. A third of the population supports the Kurdish self-rule and feels rather comfortable.

"The thing is that these are the people who are afraid that they will be enlisted in the army, who once broke the law and fled here from the authorities or for other reasons. It is noteworthy that for years people were told that the authorities would come and start arresting and robbing everyone. The military came, so did patrols of the Russian military police, and people are now breathing a sigh of relief because they have realized that with the arrival of the authorities and army, it is getting only better," Abdi noted.

US presence

The United States used to have three military bases in Manbij, retaining military presence here for a few years. Two bases were stationed on the M4 highway, while another one was in the settlement of Dadat, located to the west of the city.

"With their presence, people felt neither good nor bad. They were arrogant. They didn't communicate with anyone and didn't help in any way. Last year, when they were still here, terrorist sleeper cells felt calmer. Their [US] soldiers were blown up by a suicide attacker in a restaurant last year when contrary to our [Kurdish] recommendations, they decided to eat out in the city," Abdi said, pointing to the street where the building is located.

Leaving Manbij toward the Euphrates, one can see a neat military cemetery, where soldiers who had been killed while liberating the city from IS terrorists, were buried.

"It's like a reminder to the Kurds about the price they have had to pay for freedom," Abdi explained.

Russia's security guarantees

At the talks in Sochi, presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a memorandum on the northeast of Syria. Now, the Russian military police are patrolling Manbij, Kobane and the border area.

"You should have seen how people reacted to the appearance of a Russian military police column in Manbij. Still, the majority respects and welcomes the Russians and the Syrian army. People gathered in a large crowd, waving hands and shouting slogans in support of the army and the Russians. That is very telling. They sent each other videos from their phones to prove that what has happened was not a fiction," the Kurdish guide said.

The same picture was in place when the Russian military police entered Kobane.

Shelling from the Turkish side did not resume on Wednesday. The people who fled to Manbij have started returning to their villages.

In the coming days, the number of patrols and the presence of Syrian border guards will increase in the area. Perhaps, a few years later, the Syrian authorities will return to the idea of creating a new province with the centre in Manbij.

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal.

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal. Despite permission to enter the city, our vehicle’s driver is told to stop on a roadside and wait. Strategic city The Syrian troops crossed into Manbij earlier in October in accordance with the agreements between Damascus and the Kurdish administration. The decision was made very timely – after Ankara launched its offensive against Kurdish militia in northern Syria and pro-Turkish militant groups moved close to the suburbs of Manbij from the north and northwest. Local civilians were all set to flee in the fear of the looming assault. The picture, however, changed overnight after Syrian heavy military equipment was deployed to the area and national flags were flown at the frontline. Manbij is a strategic city. Before the war hit the country in 2011, the authorities mulled the possibility of creating a new province "Reef Aleppo," with the administrative centre in Manbij. Its population today, according to various estimates, is from 600,000 to 800,000 people, coupled with the inhabitants of nearby villages. The checkpoint at the city’s entrance is located on the M4 highway. Turkey aims to clear the 30-kilometre (18-mile) zone up to the M4 highway, which runs from Aleppo toward the Iraqi border. Small columns of the Syrian military pass by from time to time. "They are going to the north, toward Kobane, to strengthen their positions on the border. The army is deploying armoured vehicles and artillery. For the first time since the [2011] events hit this part of the country, the population again sees regular troops back," a Syrian reporter told a Sputnik correspondent. ‘Patchwork' Kurdish movement Manbij clearly illustrates how Kurdish militias are fragmented, both here and in the entire northeast of Syria. The core is represented by the Self-Defense Forces. The Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and guerrilla groups of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are also present here. "There is no central authority uniting all the formations. They coordinate among themselves. But each militia has their own bosses," a Kurdish guide, Abdi, explained. The rest of the Manbij population is also rather heterogeneous. A small group of residents is considered a vanguard of sleeper cells of radical groups, including the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia). "They represent a small part of the population. But they're dangerous," Abdi pointed out. The first impression upon arriving in Manbij is that it is an absolutely peaceful city with rather well-functioning municipal services. Its streets are cleaner than in some areas of Aleppo. Many shops are open, with "cafe" signboards also seen across the city. Residents stare at an unknown column of vehicles, with some of them waving their hands and the others just warily peering into vehicles’ windows. Manbij is a largely Arab city. Kurds are a minority here; their number has, however, increased with the arrival of refugees from the area of the Turkish military operation. A third of the population supports the Kurdish self-rule and feels rather comfortable. "The thing is that these are the people who are afraid that they will be enlisted in the army, who once broke the law and fled here from the authorities or for other reasons. It is noteworthy that for years people were told that the authorities would come and start arresting and robbing everyone. The military came, so did patrols of the Russian military police, and people are now breathing a sigh of relief because they have realized that with the arrival of the authorities and army, it is getting only better," Abdi noted. US presence The United States used to have three military bases in Manbij, retaining military presence here for a few years. Two bases were stationed on the M4 highway, while another one was in the settlement of Dadat, located to the west of the city. "With their presence, people felt neither good nor bad. They were arrogant. They didn't communicate with anyone and didn't help in any way. Last year, when they were still here, terrorist sleeper cells felt calmer. Their [US] soldiers were blown up by a suicide attacker in a restaurant last year when contrary to our [Kurdish] recommendations, they decided to eat out in the city," Abdi said, pointing to the street where the building is located. Leaving Manbij toward the Euphrates, one can see a neat military cemetery, where soldiers who had been killed while liberating the city from IS terrorists, were buried. "It's like a reminder to the Kurds about the price they have had to pay for freedom," Abdi explained. Russia's security guarantees At the talks in Sochi, presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a memorandum on the northeast of Syria. Now, the Russian military police are patrolling Manbij, Kobane and the border area. "You should have seen how people reacted to the appearance of a Russian military police column in Manbij. Still, the majority respects and welcomes the Russians and the Syrian army. People gathered in a large crowd, waving hands and shouting slogans in support of the army and the Russians. That is very telling. They sent each other videos from their phones to prove that what has happened was not a fiction," the Kurdish guide said. The same picture was in place when the Russian military police entered Kobane. Shelling from the Turkish side did not resume on Wednesday. The people who fled to Manbij have started returning to their villages. In the coming days, the number of patrols and the presence of Syrian border guards will increase in the area. Perhaps, a few years later, the Syrian authorities will return to the idea of creating a new province with the centre in Manbij.

Sleeper cells, abandoned US bases, Russian military police in Syria's Manbij

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kurds-welcome-german-plan-for-international-force-in-syria-258015">The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces</a> (SDF) accused <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-warns-syria-offensive-will-resume-unless-kurds-complete-pull-out-257497">Turkey</a> on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly.

Under the plan, agreed by Presidents <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-heading-in-wrong-direction-with-syria-incursion-us-defence-secretary-mark-esper-257941">Tayyip Erdogan</a> and Vladimir Putin, Syrian Kurdish forces are to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, a goal Russia's RIA news agency, quoting an SDF official, said was already achieved.

Russia said it was sending more military police and heavy equipment to help implement the deal, which has already prompted US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to lift sanctions against Turkey and drawn lavish praise for Erdogan in the Turkish media.

Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component in the SDF, as terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. It launched a cross-border offensive against them on October 9 after Trump ordered US&nbsp;forces out of northeast Syria.

The deal agreed with Putin, which builds on and widens a previous US-brokered ceasefire, helped end the fighting.

But the SDF said in its statement on Thursday that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process," forcing thousands of civilians to flee.

"Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," it said.

"Our forces are still clashing," it said, urging the United States to intervene to halt the renewed fighting.

Turkey's Defence Ministry did not comment directly on the SDF report but said five of its military personnel had been wounded in an attack by the YPG militia around the border town of Ras al Ain, near where the three villages are located.

Turkey previously said it reserved the right to self-defence against any militants who remain in the area despite the truce, a pledge repeated by Erdogan on Thursday.

A US&nbsp;defence official said on Thursday that Washington was committed to reinforcing its military position in Syria "with additional military assets" - one of the clearest signs yet that it had not just ended plans for a full withdrawal from Syria but may add capabilities to strengthen American forces remaining in the country.

The UN&nbsp;special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Reuters the ceasefire seemed to be holding "by and large" as major powers gather in Geneva ahead of the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee next week.

Erdogan also said Turkey had agreed with Russia to maintain an "observation post" on the northwestern part of Syria's Manbij.

'Everything is being implemented'

Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad that has emerged as the key geopolitical player in Syria, has begun deploying military police near the Turkish border as part of the deal agreed on Tuesday in the Russian city of Sochi.

"Everything is being implemented," Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying.

RIA, citing an SDF official, said the Kurdish fighters had already withdrawn to 32 km (20 miles) away from the border. It also said the Kurds were ready to discuss joining the Syrian army once the crisis in Syria had been settled politically.

Russia will send a further 276 military police officers and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week, RIA news agency cited a Defence Ministry source as saying. It also quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying Russian military police had patrolled along a new 60-km (37-mile) route on the border.

Next Tuesday, under the terms of the Sochi deal, Russian and Turkish forces will start to patrol a 10-km (6-mile) strip of land in northeast Syria where US&nbsp;troops had been deployed for years along with their former Kurdish allies.

The arrival of the Russian police marks a shift in the regional balance of power just two weeks after Trump began pulling out US&nbsp;forces, a move criticised in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of the Americans' former Kurdish allies.

Turkey's military operation was also widely condemned by its NATO allies, which said it was causing a fresh humanitarian crisis in Syria's eight-year conflict and could let Islamic State prisoners held by the YPG escape and regroup.

At a monthly UN&nbsp;Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday, Syria's UN&nbsp;ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, slammed Turkey's military action and "vehemently rejects attempts by the Turkish regime to justify its actions under the pretext of self-defence or countering terrorism."

The Russian deployments have also highlighted growing ties between Russia and NATO member Turkey.

US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting, said Turkey - which annoyed Washington this year by buying Russian-made S400 missile defence systems - was moving in the wrong direction.

"We see them spinning closer to Russia's orbit than in the Western orbit and I think that is unfortunate," Esper said.

'Super-power of peace'

Despite Trump's lifting of sanctions on Turkey, distrust persists between Ankara and Washington, and a top Erdogan aide on Thursday criticised US&nbsp;politicians for treating SDF commander Mazloum Kobani as a "legitimate political figure."

The aide, Fahrettin Altun, told Reuters that Mazloum was a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey and which Ankara's Western allies also deem a terrorist group.

Republican and Democratic US&nbsp;senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly give Mazloum a US&nbsp;visa so he can visit to discuss the situation.

Erdogan said, however, he had told his justice minister to draw up papers demanding Mazloum's extradition.

The Turkish public has shown strong support for the military operation, encouraged by an overwhelmingly pro-government media.

"The super-power of peace, Turkey," said the main headline in Thursday's edition of the pro-government Sabah newspaper.

The incursion has deepened a sense of alienation, however, among Turkey's Kurds, which is also being fuelled by a crackdown on the country's main pro-Kurdish party.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused Turkey on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused Turkey on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly. Under the plan, agreed by Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Syrian Kurdish forces are to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, a goal Russia's RIA news agency, quoting an SDF official, said was already achieved. Russia said it was sending more military police and heavy equipment to help implement the deal, which has already prompted US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions against Turkey and drawn lavish praise for Erdogan in the Turkish media. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component in the SDF, as terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. It launched a cross-border offensive against them on October 9 after Trump ordered US forces out of northeast Syria. The deal agreed with Putin, which builds on and widens a previous US-brokered ceasefire, helped end the fighting. But the SDF said in its statement on Thursday that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process," forcing thousands of civilians to flee. "Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," it said. "Our forces are still clashing," it said, urging the United States to intervene to halt the renewed fighting. Turkey's Defence Ministry did not comment directly on the SDF report but said five of its military personnel had been wounded in an attack by the YPG militia around the border town of Ras al Ain, near where the three villages are located. Turkey previously said it reserved the right to self-defence against any militants who remain in the area despite the truce, a pledge repeated by Erdogan on Thursday. A US defence official said on Thursday that Washington was committed to reinforcing its military position in Syria "with additional military assets" - one of the clearest signs yet that it had not just ended plans for a full withdrawal from Syria but may add capabilities to strengthen American forces remaining in the country. The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Reuters the ceasefire seemed to be holding "by and large" as major powers gather in Geneva ahead of the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee next week. Erdogan also said Turkey had agreed with Russia to maintain an "observation post" on the northwestern part of Syria's Manbij. 'Everything is being implemented' Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad that has emerged as the key geopolitical player in Syria, has begun deploying military police near the Turkish border as part of the deal agreed on Tuesday in the Russian city of Sochi. "Everything is being implemented," Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying. RIA, citing an SDF official, said the Kurdish fighters had already withdrawn to 32 km (20 miles) away from the border. It also said the Kurds were ready to discuss joining the Syrian army once the crisis in Syria had been settled politically. Russia will send a further 276 military police officers and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week, RIA news agency cited a Defence Ministry source as saying. It also quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying Russian military police had patrolled along a new 60-km (37-mile) route on the border. Next Tuesday, under the terms of the Sochi deal, Russian and Turkish forces will start to patrol a 10-km (6-mile) strip of land in northeast Syria where US troops had been deployed for years along with their former Kurdish allies. The arrival of the Russian police marks a shift in the regional balance of power just two weeks after Trump began pulling out US forces, a move criticised in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of the Americans' former Kurdish allies. Turkey's military operation was also widely condemned by its NATO allies, which said it was causing a fresh humanitarian crisis in Syria's eight-year conflict and could let Islamic State prisoners held by the YPG escape and regroup. At a monthly UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday, Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, slammed Turkey's military action and "vehemently rejects attempts by the Turkish regime to justify its actions under the pretext of self-defence or countering terrorism." The Russian deployments have also highlighted growing ties between Russia and NATO member Turkey. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting, said Turkey - which annoyed Washington this year by buying Russian-made S400 missile defence systems - was moving in the wrong direction. "We see them spinning closer to Russia's orbit than in the Western orbit and I think that is unfortunate," Esper said. 'Super-power of peace' Despite Trump's lifting of sanctions on Turkey, distrust persists between Ankara and Washington, and a top Erdogan aide on Thursday criticised US politicians for treating SDF commander Mazloum Kobani as a "legitimate political figure." The aide, Fahrettin Altun, told Reuters that Mazloum was a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey and which Ankara's Western allies also deem a terrorist group. Republican and Democratic US senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly give Mazloum a US visa so he can visit to discuss the situation. Erdogan said, however, he had told his justice minister to draw up papers demanding Mazloum's extradition. The Turkish public has shown strong support for the military operation, encouraged by an overwhelmingly pro-government media. "The super-power of peace, Turkey," said the main headline in Thursday's edition of the pro-government Sabah newspaper. The incursion has deepened a sense of alienation, however, among Turkey's Kurds, which is also being fuelled by a crackdown on the country's main pro-Kurdish party.

Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of violations, Russia says peace plan on track

Pakistan Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Wednesday announced that Islamabad will take part in the upcoming Afghan Peace talks scheduled to be held in Moscow.

"Pakistan had participated in the first round of four-party talks in Beijing in July this year," Faisal said at a media briefing as quoted by the News International.

Meanwhile, the United States' Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday visited Kabul with the aim of reaching a peace agreement with Afghanistan.

In September, an agreement was reached "in principle" to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban.

However, US President Donald Trump called off the peace negotiations, citing the September 6 Kabul car bombing carried out by the terrorist group, which claimed 12 lives, including an American soldier.

Pakistan Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Wednesday announced that Islamabad will take part in the upcoming Afghan Peace talks scheduled to be held in Moscow.

Pakistan Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Wednesday announced that Islamabad will take part in the upcoming Afghan Peace talks scheduled to be held in Moscow. "Pakistan had participated in the first round of four-party talks in Beijing in July this year," Faisal said at a media briefing as quoted by the News International. Meanwhile, the United States' Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday visited Kabul with the aim of reaching a peace agreement with Afghanistan. In September, an agreement was reached "in principle" to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban. However, US President Donald Trump called off the peace negotiations, citing the September 6 Kabul car bombing carried out by the terrorist group, which claimed 12 lives, including an American soldier.

Islamabad set to attend Afghanistan peace talks in Russia

The leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt met on the sidelines of Russia's Africa summit on Thursday to discuss a disputed Nile dam that has seen tensions flare, a diplomatic source told AFP.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "delivered a message" to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about Addis Ababa's soon-to-be-finished dam on the Blue Nile, the Egyptian diplomatic source said.

The meeting lasted around 45 minutes and took place "in a positive atmosphere," the source added, without providing details.&nbsp;

Egypt fears that the building of the dam, a $4 billion project begun in 2012, will reduce the flow of the Nile, on which it depends for 90 per cent of its water supply.

Discussions between the two countries and with Sudan, through which the river also passes, have been blocked for nine years.

Russia, which is hosting a two-day Africa Summit in its Black Sea resort of Sochi in an attempt to revive its Soviet-era influence on the continent, has said it is ready to play a role in resolving the conflict.

"The dam... was discussed during (Russian President Vladimir Putin's) meeting with the President of Egypt, and during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Putin told the two leaders they should take advantage of their presence in Sochi to "directly discuss (their) concerns" and that he also offered "his assistance", Peskov said.

In early October, negotiations in Khartoum resulted in a "stalemate", according to Cairo, which has since sought international mediation.&nbsp;

Ethiopia has rejected the claim, calling it "an unwarranted denial of the progress" made during the negotiations.

Analysts fear the three Nile basin countries could be drawn into conflict if the dispute is not resolved before the dam goes into operation late next year. 
&nbsp;

The leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt met on the sidelines of Russia's Africa summit on Thursday to discuss a disputed Nile dam that has seen tensions flare, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt met on the sidelines of Russia's Africa summit on Thursday to discuss a disputed Nile dam that has seen tensions flare, a diplomatic source told AFP. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "delivered a message" to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about Addis Ababa's soon-to-be-finished dam on the Blue Nile, the Egyptian diplomatic source said. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes and took place "in a positive atmosphere," the source added, without providing details. Egypt fears that the building of the dam, a $4 billion project begun in 2012, will reduce the flow of the Nile, on which it depends for 90 per cent of its water supply. Discussions between the two countries and with Sudan, through which the river also passes, have been blocked for nine years. Russia, which is hosting a two-day Africa Summit in its Black Sea resort of Sochi in an attempt to revive its Soviet-era influence on the continent, has said it is ready to play a role in resolving the conflict. "The dam... was discussed during (Russian President Vladimir Putin's) meeting with the President of Egypt, and during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin told the two leaders they should take advantage of their presence in Sochi to "directly discuss (their) concerns" and that he also offered "his assistance", Peskov said. In early October, negotiations in Khartoum resulted in a "stalemate", according to Cairo, which has since sought international mediation. Ethiopia has rejected the claim, calling it "an unwarranted denial of the progress" made during the negotiations. Analysts fear the three Nile basin countries could be drawn into conflict if the dispute is not resolved before the dam goes into operation late next year.

Egypt, Ethiopia leaders discuss Nile dam in Russia

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hope-to-find-answers-to-all-complicated-questions-putin-after-meeting-erdogan-in-sochi-257563">Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Tuesday the United States has not fully kept its promises agreed in last week's temporary truce in northeastern Syria, according to Turkish broadcaster NTV.

Erdogan, speaking after striking a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-turkey-ceasefire-agreement-uncertain-as-erdogan-meets-putin-257131">deal with Russia</a> to remove <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-the-kurdish-conflict-in-turkey-is-so-intractable-257232">Syrian Kurdish fighters</a> from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-replaces-four-more-pro-kurdish-mayors-as-crackdown-widens-257486">Turkey</a>'s border regions, was quoted as saying, "The US&nbsp;has not fully kept its promises."

"If we make compromises we would open the way for the terrorist organisation," he added according to NTV.

Syrian and Russian forces will deploy in northeast Syria to remove Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons from the border with Turkey under a deal agreed on Tuesday which both Moscow and Ankara hailed as a triumph.

Hours after the deal was announced, the Turkish defence ministry said that the United States had told Turkey the withdrawal of Kurdish militants was complete from the "safe zone" Ankara demands in northern Syria.

There was no need to initiate another operation outside the current area of operation at this stage, the ministry said in a statement, effectively ending its military offensive that had begun on October&nbsp;9, drawing widespread criticism.

The agreement follows a US-brokered truce which expired on Tuesday and underlines the dizzying changes in Syria since US&nbsp;President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops two weeks ago ahead of Turkey's cross-border offensive against the Kurds.

The Russia-Turkey agreement struck in the Black Sea resort of Sochi endorses the return of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces to the border alongside Russian troops, replacing the Americans who had patrolled the region for years with their former Kurdish allies.

Under the pact between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the two countries said Russian military police and Syrian border guards would start removing the YPG 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border on Wednesday.

Six days later, Russian and Turkish forces will jointly start to patrol a narrower, 10 km strip of land in the "safe zone" that Ankara has long sought in northeast Syria.

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence voiced support for the establishment of the safe zone.

"We may well give the international community an opportunity to establish a safe zone between Turkey and the Kurdish population in Syria that will ensure peace and security," Pence told a Heritage Foundation gala in Washington.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jim Jeffrey, the senior US&nbsp;diplomat on Syria, dismissed the Sochi deal and questioned whether the Russians could get the YPG to leave the territory it covers.

"It's full of holes," he told a congressional hearing. "All I know it will stop the Turks from moving forward. Whether the Russians will ever live up to their commitment, which is very vague, to ... get the YPG out of their areas, I don't know."

Putin calls deal 'momentous'

After six hours of talks with Erdogan in Sochi, Putin expressed satisfaction at decisions he described as "very important, if not momentous, to resolve what is a pretty tense situation which has developed on the Syrian-Turkish border".

A senior Turkish official described it as an "excellent" deal which would achieve Turkey's long-held goal of a border strip cleared of the YPG, which Ankara regards as a terrorist organisation because of its links to insurgents inside Turkey.

Last week's US-brokered deal was limited to the central part of the border strip between the Syrian towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain, where Turkish forces had focused their military offensive.

Under the deal with Moscow, the length of border which the YPG would be required to pull back from is more than triple the size of the territory covered by the US-Turkish accord, covering most of the area Turkey had wanted to include.

"The outcome of the Putin-Erdogan meeting in Sochi today indicates that Erdogan has become a master of leveraging the US&nbsp;and Russia against each other to maximize Ankara's gains," Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish program at the Washington Institute said in a tweet.

"Turkey got the safe zone it wanted all this time."

Some 300,000 people have been displaced by Turkey's offensive and 120 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. It said on Sunday 259 fighters with the Kurdish-led forces had been killed, and 196 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels. Turkey says 765 terrorists but no civilians have been killed in its offensive.

Pence received a letter from Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Kobani on Tuesday saying their forces had withdrawn "from the relevant area of operations" under that deal, Pence's spokeswoman Katie Waldman said.

However, before flying to Russia Erdogan had said hundreds of Kurdish fighters remained near to Syria's northeast border despite the truce demanding their withdrawal. Earlier he had said the fighting might resume if promises by Washington were not kept.

The US&nbsp;withdrawal from northern Syria has been criticized by US&nbsp;lawmakers, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, as a betrayal of Kurdish allies who have helped the United States fight Islamic State in Syria.

Turkey sought a "safe zone" along 440 km (275 miles) of border with northeast Syria, but its assault focused on the two border towns in the centre of that strip, Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad.

Syrian and Russian forces have already entered two border cities, Manbij and Kobani, which lie within Turkey's planned "safe zone" but to the west of Turkey's military operations.

Erdogan has said he could accept the presence of Syrian troops in those areas, as long as the YPG are pushed out.

Russia is an ally of Assad. Turkey has backed rebels seeking to oust Assad during Syria's more than eight-year-long civil war but has dropped its once frequent calls for him to quit.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the United States has not fully kept its promises agreed in last week's temporary truce in northeastern Syria, according to Turkish broadcaster NTV.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the United States has not fully kept its promises agreed in last week's temporary truce in northeastern Syria, according to Turkish broadcaster NTV. Erdogan, speaking after striking a deal with Russia to remove Syrian Kurdish fighters from Turkey's border regions, was quoted as saying, "The US has not fully kept its promises." "If we make compromises we would open the way for the terrorist organisation," he added according to NTV. Syrian and Russian forces will deploy in northeast Syria to remove Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons from the border with Turkey under a deal agreed on Tuesday which both Moscow and Ankara hailed as a triumph. Hours after the deal was announced, the Turkish defence ministry said that the United States had told Turkey the withdrawal of Kurdish militants was complete from the "safe zone" Ankara demands in northern Syria. There was no need to initiate another operation outside the current area of operation at this stage, the ministry said in a statement, effectively ending its military offensive that had begun on October 9, drawing widespread criticism. The agreement follows a US-brokered truce which expired on Tuesday and underlines the dizzying changes in Syria since US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops two weeks ago ahead of Turkey's cross-border offensive against the Kurds. The Russia-Turkey agreement struck in the Black Sea resort of Sochi endorses the return of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces to the border alongside Russian troops, replacing the Americans who had patrolled the region for years with their former Kurdish allies. Under the pact between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the two countries said Russian military police and Syrian border guards would start removing the YPG 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border on Wednesday. Six days later, Russian and Turkish forces will jointly start to patrol a narrower, 10 km strip of land in the "safe zone" that Ankara has long sought in northeast Syria. US Vice President Mike Pence voiced support for the establishment of the safe zone. "We may well give the international community an opportunity to establish a safe zone between Turkey and the Kurdish population in Syria that will ensure peace and security," Pence told a Heritage Foundation gala in Washington. Earlier on Tuesday, Jim Jeffrey, the senior US diplomat on Syria, dismissed the Sochi deal and questioned whether the Russians could get the YPG to leave the territory it covers. "It's full of holes," he told a congressional hearing. "All I know it will stop the Turks from moving forward. Whether the Russians will ever live up to their commitment, which is very vague, to ... get the YPG out of their areas, I don't know." Putin calls deal 'momentous' After six hours of talks with Erdogan in Sochi, Putin expressed satisfaction at decisions he described as "very important, if not momentous, to resolve what is a pretty tense situation which has developed on the Syrian-Turkish border". A senior Turkish official described it as an "excellent" deal which would achieve Turkey's long-held goal of a border strip cleared of the YPG, which Ankara regards as a terrorist organisation because of its links to insurgents inside Turkey. Last week's US-brokered deal was limited to the central part of the border strip between the Syrian towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain, where Turkish forces had focused their military offensive. Under the deal with Moscow, the length of border which the YPG would be required to pull back from is more than triple the size of the territory covered by the US-Turkish accord, covering most of the area Turkey had wanted to include. "The outcome of the Putin-Erdogan meeting in Sochi today indicates that Erdogan has become a master of leveraging the US and Russia against each other to maximize Ankara's gains," Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish program at the Washington Institute said in a tweet. "Turkey got the safe zone it wanted all this time." Some 300,000 people have been displaced by Turkey's offensive and 120 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. It said on Sunday 259 fighters with the Kurdish-led forces had been killed, and 196 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels. Turkey says 765 terrorists but no civilians have been killed in its offensive. Pence received a letter from Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Kobani on Tuesday saying their forces had withdrawn "from the relevant area of operations" under that deal, Pence's spokeswoman Katie Waldman said. However, before flying to Russia Erdogan had said hundreds of Kurdish fighters remained near to Syria's northeast border despite the truce demanding their withdrawal. Earlier he had said the fighting might resume if promises by Washington were not kept. The US withdrawal from northern Syria has been criticized by US lawmakers, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, as a betrayal of Kurdish allies who have helped the United States fight Islamic State in Syria. Turkey sought a "safe zone" along 440 km (275 miles) of border with northeast Syria, but its assault focused on the two border towns in the centre of that strip, Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad. Syrian and Russian forces have already entered two border cities, Manbij and Kobani, which lie within Turkey's planned "safe zone" but to the west of Turkey's military operations. Erdogan has said he could accept the presence of Syrian troops in those areas, as long as the YPG are pushed out. Russia is an ally of Assad. Turkey has backed rebels seeking to oust Assad during Syria's more than eight-year-long civil war but has dropped its once frequent calls for him to quit.

'US has not kept promises on Syria,' says Erdogan after sealing Russia deal

Russia's navy said Tuesday it had discovered five new islands revealed by melting glaciers in the remote Arctic.

An expedition in August and September charted the islands, which have yet to be named and were previously hidden under glaciers, said the head of the northern fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev.

"Mainly this is of course caused by changes to the ice situation," Moiseyev, who headed the expedition, said at a press conference in Moscow.

"Before these were glaciers; we thought they were (part of) the main glacier."

"Melting, collapse and temperature changes led to these islands being uncovered."

Glacier loss in the Arctic in the period from 2015 to 2019 was more than in any other five-year period on record, a United Nations report on global warming said last month.

Russia has opened a string of military and scientific bases in the Arctic in recent years, with interest in the region growing as rising temperatures open up shipping routes and make hitherto inaccessible mineral resources easier to exploit.

This summer's expedition to two archipelagoes -- Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya -- involved some 60 people including civilians from the Russian Geographic Society and was the first aboard a rescue towboat instead of an icebreaker.

Video of expedition members encountering an angry walrus that attacked their inflatable landing craft went viral last month.

"The two months this year when we held our expedition to Franz Josef Land can be described as warm," said Denis Krets, commander of the northern fleet's expedition force.

"We were very lucky because we could land on islands where not every year the shore and the inshore water is free of ice."

During the expedition, the defence ministry announced it had found five new islands in Vize Bay off Novaya Zemlya, a vast mountainous archipelago with two main islands.&nbsp;

The islands had previously been seen on satellite images but the expedition was the first to see them.

It also said it had also confirmed the existence of an island that had been previously mapped as a peninsula of Hall Island, part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, west of Novaya Zemlya.

Moiseyev said names for the new islands were "upcoming".

"Of course each island will receive a name but first you have to lay out the case for it."

Russia's navy said Tuesday it had discovered five new islands revealed by melting glaciers in the remote Arctic. An expedition in August and September charted the islands, which have yet to be named and were previously hidden under glaciers, said the head of the northern fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev.

Russia's navy said Tuesday it had discovered five new islands revealed by melting glaciers in the remote Arctic. An expedition in August and September charted the islands, which have yet to be named and were previously hidden under glaciers, said the head of the northern fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev. "Mainly this is of course caused by changes to the ice situation," Moiseyev, who headed the expedition, said at a press conference in Moscow. "Before these were glaciers; we thought they were (part of) the main glacier." "Melting, collapse and temperature changes led to these islands being uncovered." Glacier loss in the Arctic in the period from 2015 to 2019 was more than in any other five-year period on record, a United Nations report on global warming said last month. Russia has opened a string of military and scientific bases in the Arctic in recent years, with interest in the region growing as rising temperatures open up shipping routes and make hitherto inaccessible mineral resources easier to exploit. This summer's expedition to two archipelagoes -- Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya -- involved some 60 people including civilians from the Russian Geographic Society and was the first aboard a rescue towboat instead of an icebreaker. Video of expedition members encountering an angry walrus that attacked their inflatable landing craft went viral last month. "The two months this year when we held our expedition to Franz Josef Land can be described as warm," said Denis Krets, commander of the northern fleet's expedition force. "We were very lucky because we could land on islands where not every year the shore and the inshore water is free of ice." During the expedition, the defence ministry announced it had found five new islands in Vize Bay off Novaya Zemlya, a vast mountainous archipelago with two main islands. The islands had previously been seen on satellite images but the expedition was the first to see them. It also said it had also confirmed the existence of an island that had been previously mapped as a peninsula of Hall Island, part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, west of Novaya Zemlya. Moiseyev said names for the new islands were "upcoming". "Of course each island will receive a name but first you have to lay out the case for it."

Russia discovers five Arctic islands uncovered by melting ice

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia would aim to double trade with Africa over the next five years, at the opening of a summit aimed at reviving Moscow's ties with the continent.

"We currently export to Africa $25 billion worth of food -- which is more than we export in arms, at $15 billion. In the next four to five years I think we should be able to double this trade, at least," he told African leaders at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"In Africa, there are very many potential partners with good prospects."

Putin said the current level of trade between Moscow and the continent was "not enough".&nbsp;

"African countries are attracting ever more attention from Russian businesses," the president added, highlighting a number of major Russian companies that were already working on the continent.&nbsp;

Dozens of African leaders are in Sochi for the first Russia-Africa Summit, as Moscow seeks greater influence on a continent where the West and China have a firm foothold.

The two-day event will see more than 3,000 delegates prepare deals and discuss topics from nuclear technology to mineral extraction.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia would aim to double trade with Africa over the next five years, at the opening of a summit aimed at reviving Moscow's ties with the continent.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia would aim to double trade with Africa over the next five years, at the opening of a summit aimed at reviving Moscow's ties with the continent. "We currently export to Africa $25 billion worth of food -- which is more than we export in arms, at $15 billion. In the next four to five years I think we should be able to double this trade, at least," he told African leaders at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "In Africa, there are very many potential partners with good prospects." Putin said the current level of trade between Moscow and the continent was "not enough". "African countries are attracting ever more attention from Russian businesses," the president added, highlighting a number of major Russian companies that were already working on the continent. Dozens of African leaders are in Sochi for the first Russia-Africa Summit, as Moscow seeks greater influence on a continent where the West and China have a firm foothold. The two-day event will see more than 3,000 delegates prepare deals and discuss topics from nuclear technology to mineral extraction.

Russia aims to double trade with Africa in 5 years: Putin

Three officials at a gold mine in Siberia where 15 people died after a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/at-least-15-killed-by-dam-collapse-at-siberian-gold-mine-256894"> dam collapsed</a> were arrested on Sunday, the Russian authorities said.

"The head of the gold mining company Sissim and the manager and foreman of the mining site have been arrested," the Investigative Committee, a powerful inquiry agency, said in a statement.

The three have been taken to Krasnoyarsk for questioning, it said.

In addition to the 15 deaths, six people were listed as missing on Saturday after the dam on the Seiba River burst and flooded cabins where workers were living.

The Investigative Committee said raids had been carried out on the company's premises.

"Violations committed during gold mining" were being considered as the lead cause of the accident, it said.

Officials said the dam had been built in breach of safety rules and claimed that the authorities were not even aware of its existence.

A search operation has been launched but bad weather has prevented the use of aviation, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

The tragedy drew fresh attention to mining practices in Russia, which holds some of the largest gold reserves in the world.

It extracted nearly 300 tonnes last year, mostly by large companies.

Other production comes from artisanal teams involved in alluvial production, using techniques that environmentalists say badly damages river life. 
&nbsp;

Three officials at a gold mine in Siberia where 15 people died after a dam collapsed were arrested on Sunday, the Russian authorities said. "The head of the gold mining company Sissim and the manager and foreman of the mining site have been arrested," the Investigative Committee, a powerful inquiry agency, said in a statement.

Three officials at a gold mine in Siberia where 15 people died after a dam collapsed were arrested on Sunday, the Russian authorities said. "The head of the gold mining company Sissim and the manager and foreman of the mining site have been arrested," the Investigative Committee, a powerful inquiry agency, said in a statement. The three have been taken to Krasnoyarsk for questioning, it said. In addition to the 15 deaths, six people were listed as missing on Saturday after the dam on the Seiba River burst and flooded cabins where workers were living. The Investigative Committee said raids had been carried out on the company's premises. "Violations committed during gold mining" were being considered as the lead cause of the accident, it said. Officials said the dam had been built in breach of safety rules and claimed that the authorities were not even aware of its existence. A search operation has been launched but bad weather has prevented the use of aviation, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. The tragedy drew fresh attention to mining practices in Russia, which holds some of the largest gold reserves in the world. It extracted nearly 300 tonnes last year, mostly by large companies. Other production comes from artisanal teams involved in alluvial production, using techniques that environmentalists say badly damages river life.

Three arrested after dam mishap in Siberia

The Kremlin said on Thursday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in northern Syria following Turkey's decision to launch a military operation there.

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan would discuss Turkey's actions in Syria at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday next week.

Peskov also told journalists that a letter sent by US President Donald Trump to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, was highly unusual for correspondence between heads of state.

The White House on Wednesday released the October 9 letter, in which Trump urged Erdogan: "Don't be a tough guy" and "Don't be a fool!"

The Kremlin said on Thursday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in northern Syria following Turkey's decision to launch a military operation there. Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan would discuss Turkey's actions in Syria at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday next week.

The Kremlin said on Thursday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in northern Syria following Turkey's decision to launch a military operation there. Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan would discuss Turkey's actions in Syria at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday next week. Peskov also told journalists that a letter sent by US President Donald Trump to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, was highly unusual for correspondence between heads of state. The White House on Wednesday released the October 9 letter, in which Trump urged Erdogan: "Don't be a tough guy" and "Don't be a fool!"

Kremlin worried by situation in Syria, calls Trump's letter to Erdogan 'unusual'

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">Syria "unacceptable"</a> and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin.

In Russia's strongest criticism since Turkey launched its military operation last week, President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Syria indicated Moscow wanted Ankara to wrap up its offensive soon.

"We didn't agree with the Turks any questions about their presence in Syria and we don't approve of their actions," envoy Alexander Lavrentiev told reporters in Abu Dhabi during an official visit there by Putin.

He said Turkish troops had the right under an agreement struck between Damascus and Ankara in 1998, the Adana pact, to temporarily push up to a maximum of 10 km (6 miles) into Syria to conduct counter-terrorism operations.

"But it doesn't give them (Turkish troops) the right to remain on Syrian territory permanently and we are opposed to Turkish troops staying on Syrian territory permanently," he said.

Lavrentiev made his comments as Turkey pressed ahead with its offensive in northern Syria despite US&nbsp;sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US&nbsp;forces.

The Kremlin said late on Tuesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had phoned Putin. The Russian leader had used the call to complain about the humanitarian situation on the Turkish-Syrian border and had stressed the need to avoid a clash between Turkish and Syrian forces, it said.

Putin had told Erdogan that the situation whereby Islamic State prisoners being held in custody by Syrian Kurds were exploiting the chaos by trying to escape was unacceptable, the Kremlin said.

Putin had also invited Erdogan to visit Russia in the coming days for urgent talks, a proposal Ankara had accepted, it added.

Lavrentiev, Putin's Syria envoy, earlier on Tuesday told Russian news agencies that Moscow had always considered any kind of Turkish military operation on Syrian territory unacceptable.

His comments, which suggest growing tensions between Turkey and Russia, came a day after the Kremlin complained that Turkey's incursion was "not exactly" compatible with Syrian territorial integrity.

"The security of the Turkish-Syrian border must be ensured by the deployment of Syrian government troops along its entire length," said Lavrentiev. "That's why we never spoke in favour or supported the idea of Turkish units (being deployed there) let alone the armed Syrian opposition."

Lavrentiev said Turkey's actions risked upsetting delicate religious sensitivities in northern Syria.

In particular, he said the area was populated by Kurds, Arabs and Sunnis who would not take kindly to their lands being resettled by people who had never lived there, a reference to Turkey's plan to house refugees from other parts of Syria there.

Lavrentiev confirmed that Russia had brokered an agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces that saw the Kurds cede control of territory to Syrian troops.

Those talks had taken place at Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria among other places, he said.

Russia's influence in Syria and the Middle East is widely seen to have been boosted in the last week thanks to Washington scaling back its Syria operation and the Syrian Kurds striking a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's closest ally in the region.

Lavrentiev said Moscow was hoping that the United States would withdraw all of its forces from Syria. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his US&nbsp;counterpart about Syria on Tuesday evening.

Russian military police are patrolling the line of contact between Syrian and Turkish government troops.

Lavrentiev estimated there were around 12,000 Islamic State prisoners being held in northeast Syria.

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast Syria "unacceptable" and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin.

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast Syria "unacceptable" and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin. In Russia's strongest criticism since Turkey launched its military operation last week, President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Syria indicated Moscow wanted Ankara to wrap up its offensive soon. "We didn't agree with the Turks any questions about their presence in Syria and we don't approve of their actions," envoy Alexander Lavrentiev told reporters in Abu Dhabi during an official visit there by Putin. He said Turkish troops had the right under an agreement struck between Damascus and Ankara in 1998, the Adana pact, to temporarily push up to a maximum of 10 km (6 miles) into Syria to conduct counter-terrorism operations. "But it doesn't give them (Turkish troops) the right to remain on Syrian territory permanently and we are opposed to Turkish troops staying on Syrian territory permanently," he said. Lavrentiev made his comments as Turkey pressed ahead with its offensive in northern Syria despite US sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US forces. The Kremlin said late on Tuesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had phoned Putin. The Russian leader had used the call to complain about the humanitarian situation on the Turkish-Syrian border and had stressed the need to avoid a clash between Turkish and Syrian forces, it said. Putin had told Erdogan that the situation whereby Islamic State prisoners being held in custody by Syrian Kurds were exploiting the chaos by trying to escape was unacceptable, the Kremlin said. Putin had also invited Erdogan to visit Russia in the coming days for urgent talks, a proposal Ankara had accepted, it added. Lavrentiev, Putin's Syria envoy, earlier on Tuesday told Russian news agencies that Moscow had always considered any kind of Turkish military operation on Syrian territory unacceptable. His comments, which suggest growing tensions between Turkey and Russia, came a day after the Kremlin complained that Turkey's incursion was "not exactly" compatible with Syrian territorial integrity. "The security of the Turkish-Syrian border must be ensured by the deployment of Syrian government troops along its entire length," said Lavrentiev. "That's why we never spoke in favour or supported the idea of Turkish units (being deployed there) let alone the armed Syrian opposition." Lavrentiev said Turkey's actions risked upsetting delicate religious sensitivities in northern Syria. In particular, he said the area was populated by Kurds, Arabs and Sunnis who would not take kindly to their lands being resettled by people who had never lived there, a reference to Turkey's plan to house refugees from other parts of Syria there. Lavrentiev confirmed that Russia had brokered an agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces that saw the Kurds cede control of territory to Syrian troops. Those talks had taken place at Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria among other places, he said. Russia's influence in Syria and the Middle East is widely seen to have been boosted in the last week thanks to Washington scaling back its Syria operation and the Syrian Kurds striking a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's closest ally in the region. Lavrentiev said Moscow was hoping that the United States would withdraw all of its forces from Syria. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his US counterpart about Syria on Tuesday evening. Russian military police are patrolling the line of contact between Syrian and Turkish government troops. Lavrentiev estimated there were around 12,000 Islamic State prisoners being held in northeast Syria.

We don't approve of Turkish actions in Syria: Russia

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda.

So is Putin’s push for Saudi Arabia to finalise the acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-missile defence system in the wake of the failure of US weaponry to intercept drones and missiles that last month struck key Saudi oil installations.

“We are ready to help Saudi Arabia protect their people. They need to make clever decisions…by deciding to buy the most advanced S-400 air-defence systems. These kinds of systems are capable of defending any kind of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia from any kind of attack,” Putin said immediately after the attacks.

Putin’s push for a multilateral security approach is helped by changing realities in the Gulf as a result of President Donald Trump’s repeated recent demonstrations of his unreliability as an ally.

Doubts about Trump have been fuelled by his reluctance to respond more forcefully to perceived Iranian provocations, including the downing of a US drone in June and the September attacks on the Saudi facilities as well as his distancing himself from Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu following last month’s elections, and most recently, the president’s leaving the Kurds to their own devices as they confront a Turkish invasion in Syria.

Framed in transactional terms in which Saudi Arabia pays for a service, Trump’s decision this week to send up to 3,000 troops and additional air defences to the kingdom is likely to do little to enhance confidence in his reliability.

By comparison, Putin, with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping, seems a much more reliable partner even if Riyadh differs with Moscow and Beijing on key issues, including Iran, Syria and Turkey.

“While Russia is a reliable ally, the US is not. Many in the Middle East may not approve of Moscow supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but they respect Vladimir Putin for sticking by Russia’s beleaguered ally in Syria,” said Middle East scholar and commentator Mark N Katz.

In a twist of irony, Trump’s unreliability coupled with an Iran’s strategy of gradual escalation in response to the president’s imposition of harsh economic sanctions in a bid to force the Islamic republic to the negotiating table appear to have moderated what was perceived as a largely disastrous assertive and robust go-it-alone Saudi foreign and defense policy posture in recent years.

While everyone would benefit from a dialling down of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Trump’s overall performance as the guarantor of security in the Gulf could in the longer term pave the way for a more multilateral approach to the region’s security architecture.

In the latest sign of Saudi willingness to step back from the brink, Saudi Arabia is holding back channel talks for the first time in two years with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The talks began after both sides declared partial ceasefires in the more than four-year-long Yemeni war.

The talks potentially open the door to a broader Russian-sponsored deal in the context of some understanding about non-aggression between the kingdom and Iran, in which Saudi Arabia would re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria in exchange for the Islamic republic dropping its support for the Houthis.

Restoring diplomatic relations and reversing the Arab League’s suspension of Syrian membership because of the civil war would constitute a victory for Al-Assad’s main backers, Russia and Iran. It would grant greater legitimacy to a leader viewed by significant segments of the international community as a pariah.

A Saudi-Iranian swap of Syria for Yemen could also facilitate Saudi financial contributions to the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria. Saudi Arabia was conspicuously absent at last month’s Rebuild Syria Expo in Damascus.&nbsp;

Putin is likely to further leverage his enhanced credibility as well as Saudi-Russian cooperation in curtailing oil production to boost prices to persuade Saudi Arabia to follow through on promises to invest in Russia.

Saudi Arabia had agreed to take a stake in Russia’s Novatek Arctic-2 liquefied natural gas complex, acquire Sibur, Russia's largest petrochemical facility, and invest an additional $6 billion in future projects.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak predicted that “about 30 agreements and contracts will be signed during President Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. We are working on it. These are investment projects, and the sum in question is billions of dollars.”

In anticipation of Putin’s visit, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said it was opening its first overseas office in Riyadh.

RDIF and the kingdom's counterpart, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are believed to be looking at some $2.5 billion in investment in technology, medicine, infrastructure, transport and industrial production.

The Russian fund is also discussing with Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, $3 billion in investments in oil services and oil and gas conversion projects.

Saudi interest in economic cooperation with Russia goes beyond economics. Ensuring that world powers have an increasing stake in the kingdom’s security is one pillar of a more multilateral regional approach. 
&nbsp;

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda. So is Putin’s push for Saudi Arabia to finalise the acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-missile defence system in the wake of the failure of US weaponry to intercept drones and missiles that last month struck key Saudi oil installations. “We are ready to help Saudi Arabia protect their people. They need to make clever decisions…by deciding to buy the most advanced S-400 air-defence systems. These kinds of systems are capable of defending any kind of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia from any kind of attack,” Putin said immediately after the attacks. Putin’s push for a multilateral security approach is helped by changing realities in the Gulf as a result of President Donald Trump’s repeated recent demonstrations of his unreliability as an ally. Doubts about Trump have been fuelled by his reluctance to respond more forcefully to perceived Iranian provocations, including the downing of a US drone in June and the September attacks on the Saudi facilities as well as his distancing himself from Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu following last month’s elections, and most recently, the president’s leaving the Kurds to their own devices as they confront a Turkish invasion in Syria. Framed in transactional terms in which Saudi Arabia pays for a service, Trump’s decision this week to send up to 3,000 troops and additional air defences to the kingdom is likely to do little to enhance confidence in his reliability. By comparison, Putin, with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping, seems a much more reliable partner even if Riyadh differs with Moscow and Beijing on key issues, including Iran, Syria and Turkey. “While Russia is a reliable ally, the US is not. Many in the Middle East may not approve of Moscow supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but they respect Vladimir Putin for sticking by Russia’s beleaguered ally in Syria,” said Middle East scholar and commentator Mark N Katz. In a twist of irony, Trump’s unreliability coupled with an Iran’s strategy of gradual escalation in response to the president’s imposition of harsh economic sanctions in a bid to force the Islamic republic to the negotiating table appear to have moderated what was perceived as a largely disastrous assertive and robust go-it-alone Saudi foreign and defense policy posture in recent years. While everyone would benefit from a dialling down of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Trump’s overall performance as the guarantor of security in the Gulf could in the longer term pave the way for a more multilateral approach to the region’s security architecture. In the latest sign of Saudi willingness to step back from the brink, Saudi Arabia is holding back channel talks for the first time in two years with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The talks began after both sides declared partial ceasefires in the more than four-year-long Yemeni war. The talks potentially open the door to a broader Russian-sponsored deal in the context of some understanding about non-aggression between the kingdom and Iran, in which Saudi Arabia would re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria in exchange for the Islamic republic dropping its support for the Houthis. Restoring diplomatic relations and reversing the Arab League’s suspension of Syrian membership because of the civil war would constitute a victory for Al-Assad’s main backers, Russia and Iran. It would grant greater legitimacy to a leader viewed by significant segments of the international community as a pariah. A Saudi-Iranian swap of Syria for Yemen could also facilitate Saudi financial contributions to the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria. Saudi Arabia was conspicuously absent at last month’s Rebuild Syria Expo in Damascus. Putin is likely to further leverage his enhanced credibility as well as Saudi-Russian cooperation in curtailing oil production to boost prices to persuade Saudi Arabia to follow through on promises to invest in Russia. Saudi Arabia had agreed to take a stake in Russia’s Novatek Arctic-2 liquefied natural gas complex, acquire Sibur, Russia's largest petrochemical facility, and invest an additional $6 billion in future projects. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak predicted that “about 30 agreements and contracts will be signed during President Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. We are working on it. These are investment projects, and the sum in question is billions of dollars.” In anticipation of Putin’s visit, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said it was opening its first overseas office in Riyadh. RDIF and the kingdom's counterpart, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are believed to be looking at some $2.5 billion in investment in technology, medicine, infrastructure, transport and industrial production. The Russian fund is also discussing with Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, $3 billion in investments in oil services and oil and gas conversion projects. Saudi interest in economic cooperation with Russia goes beyond economics. Ensuring that world powers have an increasing stake in the kingdom’s security is one pillar of a more multilateral regional approach.

Saudi Arabia's interest in Russia goes beyond economics

Iran has released a Russian journalist detained for suspected links to Israeli intelligence and she was on her way to Moscow, Russia's embassy in Tehran said on Thursday.

Yulia Yuzik, 38, was arrested in Tehran last week.

An Iranian government spokesman said she was being held over alleged visa violations but the Russian embassy said she had been accused of working for Israeli security services.

"As a result of joint efforts of the Russian foreign ministry and the Russian embassy in Tehran, Iran decided to release Russian citizen Yulia Yuzik," the embassy said on Twitter.

It said she was flying back to Moscow.

Boris Voitsekhovskiy, identified by Russian media as Yuzik's ex-husband, said on Facebook that she had landed in the Russian capital.

Russia summoned the Iranian ambassador last week to clarify the circumstances of the arrest.

Yuzik has worked for a number of publications including the Russian version of Newsweek.

She has written two books including "Beslan Dictionary", based on testimony from survivors of the 2004 school massacre that claimed at least 330 lives, more than half of them children.

Iran has released a Russian journalist detained for suspected links to Israeli intelligence and she was on her way to Moscow, Russia's embassy in Tehran said on Thursday.

Iran has released a Russian journalist detained for suspected links to Israeli intelligence and she was on her way to Moscow, Russia's embassy in Tehran said on Thursday. Yulia Yuzik, 38, was arrested in Tehran last week. An Iranian government spokesman said she was being held over alleged visa violations but the Russian embassy said she had been accused of working for Israeli security services. "As a result of joint efforts of the Russian foreign ministry and the Russian embassy in Tehran, Iran decided to release Russian citizen Yulia Yuzik," the embassy said on Twitter. It said she was flying back to Moscow. Boris Voitsekhovskiy, identified by Russian media as Yuzik's ex-husband, said on Facebook that she had landed in the Russian capital. Russia summoned the Iranian ambassador last week to clarify the circumstances of the arrest. Yuzik has worked for a number of publications including the Russian version of Newsweek. She has written two books including "Beslan Dictionary", based on testimony from survivors of the 2004 school massacre that claimed at least 330 lives, more than half of them children.

Iran releases Russian journalist detained for suspected links to Israeli intelligence

By Ali Bilgic

In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria. The area is currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, who the US worked closely within the battle to defeat Islamic State (IS). Kurdish forces described Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the area as a “stab in the back”.

Amid mounting criticism of the decision, Trump appeared to pull back, taking to Twitter to warn Turkey not to go too far in its operation. US security officials insisted the administration did not endorse or support the Turkish operation. However, Turkey said its preparations were complete for the military campaign, which aims to establish a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syria border.

Trump’s decision to withdraw troops appeared to be underlined by his dissatisfaction with European allies who haven’t taken back their citizens from the region. The White House said, it wanted to avoid spending more money from American taxpayers on holding captured IS fighters. During a phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump reportedly agreed with the Turkish president that Turkey would take charge of these captured fighters.

Relations between Turkey and the US have long been strained by American support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Turkey believes they are directly connected to the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union.

Yet Turkey could find itself in a quagmire that involves a guerrilla warfare waged by the Kurdish forces. According to the Anatolian Agency, Turkey’s official news agency, the PKK is already present in northern Syria. If Turkey goes ahead with a campaign, it will extend the 40-year long conflict between the Turkish military, NATO’s second-biggest army, and the PKK beyond Turkey’s borders. However, unlike in previous decades, the PKK will be backed by the YPG, long trained in active combat.

Assad’s next move

It’s unclear how Bashar al Assad and his regime in Damascus will react to a planned Turkish incursion into northern Syria. One possibility is that Assad government forces, backed by Russia, could take advantage of the situation and advance from the south into the Kurdish region. This will force the Kurds to fight on two fronts at the same time – something they are unlikely to survive.

There is another possibility. If the Kurdish political forces are successful in negotiating a deal with Damascus to set up a federal government system, like in Iraq, in Syria, these two forces could unite against the “foreign invader”. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, already called for the withdrawal of American and Turkish forces in Syria.

Some Kurdish militia in northern Iraq could also join the YPG in a future conflict against Turkey. In March 2019, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan from Iraq announced its potential support in case of an attack. Such moves would likely disturb stability in northern Iraq, which has had amicable relations with Turkey.

Fate of refugees

The Kurdish region in northern Syria, also known as Rojova, has been one of the most stable in the country throughout the Syrian war. It has provided shelter to those who escaped from IS, Assad forces, and extremist factions within the Free Syrian Army, such as Al Qaeda affiliates.

The destabilisation of the region will likely trigger a new wave of migration from Syria towards northern Iraq and potentially Turkey. Since an informal agreement between the US and Turkey in August to create safe zones in northern Syria, tens of thousands have already fled from Idlib to the Turkish border anticipating a new conflict in the region.

Turkey, which currently hosts more than 3m Syrian refugees, has recently introduced stricter policies and regulations that aim to return some of these refugees to Syria. Erdoğan plans to repatriate them to any safe zone it manages to set up, so it’s unlikely Turkey will accept and host new waves of refugees from Syria. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, refugees will be forced to take irregular migration channels to Europe via Turkey and north Africa.

Russia’s next move is also crucial. The Kremlin, which recognises Turkey’s right to defend itself, also emphasises the need to protect Syria’s “territorial integrity”. Russia has been careful not to alienate the Kurds in Syria completely.

If the Kurds, who feel betrayed and abandoned by the US, move closer to Russia as a guarantor of their autonomy in a federal Syria, this could play in to the Americans’ hands by threatening the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. However, a post-war Syria with a federal system that includes the Kurds and a consolidated Assad regime could strengthen the Russia-Iran bloc in the region, which will disturb both Israel and Saudi Arabia, crucial partners and allies of the US.

The next few weeks and months will determine the fate of Rojova, which will be pressured by both Turkish and Assad forces. Alongside the Kurds, the ethnic and religious groups, such as the Assyrians and Yazidis, who have found shelter in Rojova, will go through a dangerous period. And the cells of defeated IS fighters will be waiting for the opportunity derived from this crisis.

(Ali Bilgic is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Loughborough University) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-donald-trumps-decision-to-abandon-kurdish-fighters-in-syria-means-for-the-kurds-assad-and-russia-124815">original article</a>)

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Ali Bilgic In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria.

By Ali Bilgic In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria. The area is currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, who the US worked closely within the battle to defeat Islamic State (IS). Kurdish forces described Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the area as a “stab in the back”. Amid mounting criticism of the decision, Trump appeared to pull back, taking to Twitter to warn Turkey not to go too far in its operation. US security officials insisted the administration did not endorse or support the Turkish operation. However, Turkey said its preparations were complete for the military campaign, which aims to establish a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syria border. Trump’s decision to withdraw troops appeared to be underlined by his dissatisfaction with European allies who haven’t taken back their citizens from the region. The White House said, it wanted to avoid spending more money from American taxpayers on holding captured IS fighters. During a phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump reportedly agreed with the Turkish president that Turkey would take charge of these captured fighters. Relations between Turkey and the US have long been strained by American support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Turkey believes they are directly connected to the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union. Yet Turkey could find itself in a quagmire that involves a guerrilla warfare waged by the Kurdish forces. According to the Anatolian Agency, Turkey’s official news agency, the PKK is already present in northern Syria. If Turkey goes ahead with a campaign, it will extend the 40-year long conflict between the Turkish military, NATO’s second-biggest army, and the PKK beyond Turkey’s borders. However, unlike in previous decades, the PKK will be backed by the YPG, long trained in active combat. Assad’s next move It’s unclear how Bashar al Assad and his regime in Damascus will react to a planned Turkish incursion into northern Syria. One possibility is that Assad government forces, backed by Russia, could take advantage of the situation and advance from the south into the Kurdish region. This will force the Kurds to fight on two fronts at the same time – something they are unlikely to survive. There is another possibility. If the Kurdish political forces are successful in negotiating a deal with Damascus to set up a federal government system, like in Iraq, in Syria, these two forces could unite against the “foreign invader”. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, already called for the withdrawal of American and Turkish forces in Syria. Some Kurdish militia in northern Iraq could also join the YPG in a future conflict against Turkey. In March 2019, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan from Iraq announced its potential support in case of an attack. Such moves would likely disturb stability in northern Iraq, which has had amicable relations with Turkey. Fate of refugees The Kurdish region in northern Syria, also known as Rojova, has been one of the most stable in the country throughout the Syrian war. It has provided shelter to those who escaped from IS, Assad forces, and extremist factions within the Free Syrian Army, such as Al Qaeda affiliates. The destabilisation of the region will likely trigger a new wave of migration from Syria towards northern Iraq and potentially Turkey. Since an informal agreement between the US and Turkey in August to create safe zones in northern Syria, tens of thousands have already fled from Idlib to the Turkish border anticipating a new conflict in the region. Turkey, which currently hosts more than 3m Syrian refugees, has recently introduced stricter policies and regulations that aim to return some of these refugees to Syria. Erdoğan plans to repatriate them to any safe zone it manages to set up, so it’s unlikely Turkey will accept and host new waves of refugees from Syria. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, refugees will be forced to take irregular migration channels to Europe via Turkey and north Africa. Russia’s next move is also crucial. The Kremlin, which recognises Turkey’s right to defend itself, also emphasises the need to protect Syria’s “territorial integrity”. Russia has been careful not to alienate the Kurds in Syria completely. If the Kurds, who feel betrayed and abandoned by the US, move closer to Russia as a guarantor of their autonomy in a federal Syria, this could play in to the Americans’ hands by threatening the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. However, a post-war Syria with a federal system that includes the Kurds and a consolidated Assad regime could strengthen the Russia-Iran bloc in the region, which will disturb both Israel and Saudi Arabia, crucial partners and allies of the US. The next few weeks and months will determine the fate of Rojova, which will be pressured by both Turkish and Assad forces. Alongside the Kurds, the ethnic and religious groups, such as the Assyrians and Yazidis, who have found shelter in Rojova, will go through a dangerous period. And the cells of defeated IS fighters will be waiting for the opportunity derived from this crisis. (Ali Bilgic is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Loughborough University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

What Donald Trump’s decision to abandon Kurdish fighters in Syria means for the Kurds, Assad and Russia

Russia was not informed in advance by the United States or by Turkey about US&nbsp;plans to pull troops back from Syria's northeast border region ahead of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-syria-attack-plans-complete-trump-delivers-threat-254495">Turkish military operation</a>, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (October 8, 2019).

Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as a leading power broker in Syria over more than eight years of civil war and has said that Syria's territorial integrity must be respected by all outside powers.

Turkey said earlier on Tuesday that it had finished preparing for a military operation in northeast Syria after Washington began withdrawing its troops.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not been given advance warning.

"No, no one notified (us)," he told reporters on a conference call.

He added that it remained to be seen, however, how many US&nbsp;troops would actually be withdrawn. He noted what he said were past US statements about troop withdrawals that had not led to concrete action.

"We are very closely watching the situation," he said.

&nbsp;

Russia was not informed in advance by the United States or by Turkey about US plans to pull troops back from Syria's northeast border region ahead of a Turkish military operation, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (October 8, 2019).

Russia was not informed in advance by the United States or by Turkey about US plans to pull troops back from Syria's northeast border region ahead of a Turkish military operation, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (October 8, 2019). Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as a leading power broker in Syria over more than eight years of civil war and has said that Syria's territorial integrity must be respected by all outside powers. Turkey said earlier on Tuesday that it had finished preparing for a military operation in northeast Syria after Washington began withdrawing its troops. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not been given advance warning. "No, no one notified (us)," he told reporters on a conference call. He added that it remained to be seen, however, how many US troops would actually be withdrawn. He noted what he said were past US statements about troop withdrawals that had not led to concrete action. "We are very closely watching the situation," he said.

Not informed about US plans to withdraw troops from Syria: Russia

Ukraine plans to carry out a major prisoner swap with Russia and hopes it will take place next week, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said late on Thursday.

The comments come after a breakthrough at talks between Moscow and Kiev this week that opens the way for an international summit to be held aimed at ending the conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine's east.

Russia and Ukraine swapped dozens of prisoners on Sept. 7 in a carefully-negotiated rapprochement that was praised in the West and appeared to presage a thawing in relations that have been frozen since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

"I hope that very soon, and I mean literally next week, we plan an even more large-scale exchange," Prystaiko said on a talk show on Ukraine's 1+1 television channel late on Thursday.

Ukraine plans to carry out a major prisoner swap with Russia and hopes it will take place next week, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said late on Thursday.

Ukraine plans to carry out a major prisoner swap with Russia and hopes it will take place next week, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said late on Thursday. The comments come after a breakthrough at talks between Moscow and Kiev this week that opens the way for an international summit to be held aimed at ending the conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine's east. Russia and Ukraine swapped dozens of prisoners on Sept. 7 in a carefully-negotiated rapprochement that was praised in the West and appeared to presage a thawing in relations that have been frozen since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. "I hope that very soon, and I mean literally next week, we plan an even more large-scale exchange," Prystaiko said on a talk show on Ukraine's 1+1 television channel late on Thursday.

Ukraine plans second major prisoner swap with Russia

Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;to "assist" in&nbsp;discrediting&nbsp;a&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;investigation that has clouded his presidency, with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-offers-trump-only-limited-commitment-on-iran-pm-251136">Prime Minister Scott Morrison</a> admitting Tuesday that he agreed to&nbsp;help.

An Australian government spokesperson confirmed&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Morrison to investigate issues raised in Robert Mueller's&nbsp;probe, which concluded that&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;tried to swing the 2016 election in the Republican's favour.

The official said&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;"has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that&nbsp;help&nbsp;shed further light on the matters under investigation".

"The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the President."

The revelation will fuel allegations&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;is using the power of the Oval Office and risking long-standing relationships with allies for his own political ends.

He is already facing impeachment for asking Ukraine's leader to investigate his potential election rival, former vice president Joe Biden, and his son Hunter.

Mueller's&nbsp;probe&nbsp;concluded in March and led to the conviction of several of&nbsp;Trump's top aides for obstruction and lying to investigators.

But ahead of the 2020 election&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-remains-defiant-as-impeachment-enquiry-against-him-intensifies-252755">Trump</a>&nbsp;has painted the&nbsp;probe&nbsp;and its findings as a "deep state" conspiracy, pointing to conservative media reports as evidence and urging the Justice Department to launch counter-investigations.

The New York Times, which first reported&nbsp;Trump's Australian request, said the White House had restricted access to the transcript of the&nbsp;Trump-Morrison call, in a similar way to its handling of&nbsp;Trump's recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Several other calls and meetings between&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and foreign leaders, including&nbsp;Russia's Vladimir Putin are now under scrutiny.

Separately, the Washington Post reported that Attorney General Bill Barr has had multiple contacts with officials and spies in&nbsp;Australia, Britain and Italy in a bid to investigate Mueller and US intelligence findings.

State visit 
At&nbsp;Trump's encouragement, Barr's Justice Department is examining the roots of the Mueller&nbsp;probe, including the evidence that led the CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies to declare that&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;did, in fact, interfere in 2016 to boost&nbsp;Trump.

Australia&nbsp;and Britain were both important because the original FBI&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;meddling&nbsp;probe&nbsp;was launched in July 2016 after the bureau received a tip from an Australian diplomat in Britain about a meeting between people tied to Russian intelligence and a&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;campaign official.

In a May letter to Barr and White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney cited by Australian media Tuesday&nbsp;the country's ambassador in Washington also offered to&nbsp;help.

Morrison recently enjoyed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backed-by-australias-morrison-talks-tough-on-china-250920">state visit to Washington</a> and his close ties to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had already been facing scrutiny at home.

"It was risky for the Morrison government to get so cosy with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;when almost no other government has done so," said Emma Shortis of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

"I think this development shows just how risky that is, Trump&nbsp;will come calling for favours, embroil you in controversy, and put relationships at risk", she added.

In a statement, the Justice Department defended contacts abroad and said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Barr's roles were to&nbsp;help&nbsp;investigator John Durham make contacts.

"Mr Durham is gathering information from numerous sources, including a number of foreign countries," said Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

"At Attorney General Barr's request, the president has contacted other countries to ask them to introduce the attorney general and Mr Durham to appropriate officials," she said.

Donald Trump asked Australia to "assist" in discrediting a Russia investigation that has clouded his presidency, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitting Tuesday that he agreed to help.

Donald Trump asked Australia to "assist" in discrediting a Russia investigation that has clouded his presidency, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitting Tuesday that he agreed to help. An Australian government spokesperson confirmed Trump asked Morrison to investigate issues raised in Robert Mueller's probe, which concluded that Russia tried to swing the 2016 election in the Republican's favour. The official said Australia "has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation". "The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the President." The revelation will fuel allegations Trump is using the power of the Oval Office and risking long-standing relationships with allies for his own political ends. He is already facing impeachment for asking Ukraine's leader to investigate his potential election rival, former vice president Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. Mueller's probe concluded in March and led to the conviction of several of Trump's top aides for obstruction and lying to investigators. But ahead of the 2020 election Trump has painted the probe and its findings as a "deep state" conspiracy, pointing to conservative media reports as evidence and urging the Justice Department to launch counter-investigations. The New York Times, which first reported Trump's Australian request, said the White House had restricted access to the transcript of the Trump-Morrison call, in a similar way to its handling of Trump's recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Several other calls and meetings between Trump and foreign leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin are now under scrutiny. Separately, the Washington Post reported that Attorney General Bill Barr has had multiple contacts with officials and spies in Australia, Britain and Italy in a bid to investigate Mueller and US intelligence findings. State visit At Trump's encouragement, Barr's Justice Department is examining the roots of the Mueller probe, including the evidence that led the CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies to declare that Russia did, in fact, interfere in 2016 to boost Trump. Australia and Britain were both important because the original FBI Russia meddling probe was launched in July 2016 after the bureau received a tip from an Australian diplomat in Britain about a meeting between people tied to Russian intelligence and a Trump campaign official. In a May letter to Barr and White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney cited by Australian media Tuesday the country's ambassador in Washington also offered to help. Morrison recently enjoyed a state visit to Washington and his close ties to Trump had already been facing scrutiny at home. "It was risky for the Morrison government to get so cosy with Trump when almost no other government has done so," said Emma Shortis of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. "I think this development shows just how risky that is, Trump will come calling for favours, embroil you in controversy, and put relationships at risk", she added. In a statement, the Justice Department defended contacts abroad and said Trump and Barr's roles were to help investigator John Durham make contacts. "Mr Durham is gathering information from numerous sources, including a number of foreign countries," said Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec. "At Attorney General Barr's request, the president has contacted other countries to ask them to introduce the attorney general and Mr Durham to appropriate officials," she said.

Trump asked Australia for help to discredit Russia probe

Russia on Monday said it was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-russians-over-2018-elections-interference-252904">"bewildered" by fresh US sanctions</a> and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack".&nbsp;

The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians &nbsp;-- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered."&nbsp;

"We urge American politicians to stop this useless sanctions game, the result of which is zero, and to return to the position of common sense," the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

The financial sanctions, which target Russian financier Evgeny Prigozhin, some of his assets and the so-called Internet Research Agency, are the first to be taken under an executive order signed last year President Donald Trump seeking to punish foreign actors accused of interfering in US elections.&nbsp;

The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Monday.

The foreign ministry said the sanctions were part of an "internal political crisis" in the United States in which "Russian issues are deliberately used by part of the Washington establishment as a tool to achieve their own opportunistic goals."&nbsp;

The sanctions marked the third time the US had added Prigozhin's name to its list of foreign nationals formally barred from the US financial system, a move which freezes him out of much of the global financial system as well.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-want-access-to-trumps-phone-calls-with-russian-president-putin-others-252704">US prosecutors last year indicted the Internet Research Agency as well as alleged employees</a>, charging them with a broad conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections by spreading disinformation in the United States via social media.

The US Treasury said Monday the agency had announced its intention to do likewise in the 2018 midterms by seeking to discredit candidates it viewed as hostile to Moscow.

There was no evidence they were successful in preventing voting, altering vote counts or disrupting vote tallying, the Treasury said.

Russia on Monday said it was "bewildered" by fresh US sanctions and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack". The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians -- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered.

Russia on Monday said it was "bewildered" by fresh US sanctions and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack". The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians -- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered." "We urge American politicians to stop this useless sanctions game, the result of which is zero, and to return to the position of common sense," the ministry said in a statement. The financial sanctions, which target Russian financier Evgeny Prigozhin, some of his assets and the so-called Internet Research Agency, are the first to be taken under an executive order signed last year President Donald Trump seeking to punish foreign actors accused of interfering in US elections. The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Monday. The foreign ministry said the sanctions were part of an "internal political crisis" in the United States in which "Russian issues are deliberately used by part of the Washington establishment as a tool to achieve their own opportunistic goals." The sanctions marked the third time the US had added Prigozhin's name to its list of foreign nationals formally barred from the US financial system, a move which freezes him out of much of the global financial system as well. US prosecutors last year indicted the Internet Research Agency as well as alleged employees, charging them with a broad conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections by spreading disinformation in the United States via social media. The US Treasury said Monday the agency had announced its intention to do likewise in the 2018 midterms by seeking to discredit candidates it viewed as hostile to Moscow. There was no evidence they were successful in preventing voting, altering vote counts or disrupting vote tallying, the Treasury said.

Moscow vows to retaliate over new 'anti-Russian' United States sanctions

Among the destroyed buildings of&nbsp;Syria's&nbsp;Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of&nbsp;post-war reconstruction.

"The industrial city of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;thanks you for your visit," it reads.

Once the country's powerhouse,&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;was devastated by&nbsp;Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege.

As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction&nbsp;of the war-torn country.

Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in&nbsp;Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened.

At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs.

About a fifth of the workers recently returned to&nbsp;Aleppo.

"We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge.

"We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse.

But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery.

The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively.

The factory was under rebel control until&nbsp;Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting.&nbsp;

For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary.

But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five.

After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month.

Customers will return

Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life.

The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored.

Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise.

Among them,&nbsp;59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice.

"Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war.

The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years.

Things are a lot better&nbsp;we have electricity, water."

Russian pipes and cables

President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015.

After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;and is looking to rebuild with Russian support.

Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies.

Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of&nbsp;Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting.

But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin.

Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints.

And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued.

The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment.

The governor of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction. "The industrial city of Aleppo thanks you for your visit," it reads. Once the country's powerhouse, Aleppo was devastated by Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege. As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened. At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs. About a fifth of the workers recently returned to Aleppo. "We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge. "We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse. But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery. The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively. The factory was under rebel control until Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting. For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary. But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five. After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month. Customers will return Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life. The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored. Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise. Among them, 59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice. "Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war. The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years. Things are a lot better we have electricity, water." Russian pipes and cables President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015. After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of Syria and is looking to rebuild with Russian support. Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies. Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting. But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin. Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints. And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued. The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment. The governor of Aleppo province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

In Syria's Aleppo, reconstruction makes slow start

The chairman of the US&nbsp;House Intelligence Committee said on Sunday Congress is determined to get access to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-rejects-trump-policy-of-expanded-deportation-252639">President Donald Trump</a>'s calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, citing concerns he may have jeopardized national security.

"I think the paramount need here is to protect the national security of the United States and see whether in the conversations with other world leaders and in particular with Putin that the president was also undermining our security in a way that he thought would personally benefit his campaign," Democrat Adam Schiff said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Following a whistleblower complaint that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-country-is-at-stake-like-never-before-trump-to-supporters-252638">Trump</a>, a Republican, solicited a political favor from Ukraine's president that could help him get re-elected, the lawmakers are investigating concerns that Trump's actions have jeopardized national security and the integrity of US&nbsp;elections.

The intelligence committee has reached an agreement with the whistleblower to appear before the panel, Schiff told ABC's "This Week"

Lawmakers were working out logistics to protect the person's identity and also get security clearance for lawyers who will be representing the whistleblower. He hopes the whistleblower can appear very soon, Schiff said.

The whistleblower's complaint cited a telephone call in which Trump asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

Joe Biden is a leading candidate in the race to challenge Trump in the November 2020 presidential election.

The complaint said White House lawyers directed that an electronic summary of the call, which was released to the public on Wednesday, be moved from the place where such things are usually kept to a secret server reserved for covert matters.

"If those conversations with Putin or with other world leaders are sequestered in that same electronic file that is meant for covert action, not meant for this, if there's an effort to hide those and cover those up, yes we're determined to find out," Schiff said on NBC.

The chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee said on Sunday Congress is determined to get access to President Donald Trump's calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, citing concerns he may have jeopardized national security.

The chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee said on Sunday Congress is determined to get access to President Donald Trump's calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, citing concerns he may have jeopardized national security. "I think the paramount need here is to protect the national security of the United States and see whether in the conversations with other world leaders and in particular with Putin that the president was also undermining our security in a way that he thought would personally benefit his campaign," Democrat Adam Schiff said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Following a whistleblower complaint that Trump, a Republican, solicited a political favor from Ukraine's president that could help him get re-elected, the lawmakers are investigating concerns that Trump's actions have jeopardized national security and the integrity of US elections. The intelligence committee has reached an agreement with the whistleblower to appear before the panel, Schiff told ABC's "This Week" Lawmakers were working out logistics to protect the person's identity and also get security clearance for lawyers who will be representing the whistleblower. He hopes the whistleblower can appear very soon, Schiff said. The whistleblower's complaint cited a telephone call in which Trump asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Joe Biden is a leading candidate in the race to challenge Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. The complaint said White House lawyers directed that an electronic summary of the call, which was released to the public on Wednesday, be moved from the place where such things are usually kept to a secret server reserved for covert matters. "If those conversations with Putin or with other world leaders are sequestered in that same electronic file that is meant for covert action, not meant for this, if there's an effort to hide those and cover those up, yes we're determined to find out," Schiff said on NBC.

Democrats want access to Trump's phone calls with Russian President Putin, others

President Donald Trump told two Russian officials in a 2017 meeting that he was not concerned about Moscow's meddling in the US&nbsp;election, which prompted White House officials to limit access to the remarks, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

A summary of Trump's Oval Office meeting with Russia's foreign minister and its ambassador to the US&nbsp;was limited to a few officials in an attempt to keep the president's comments from being disclosed publicly, the Post said, citing former officials with knowledge of the matter.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

A whistleblower complaint about a July phone call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden is at the heart of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives impeachment inquiry launched this week.

A member of the US&nbsp;intelligence community who filed the complaint against Trump said notes from other conversations the president had with foreign leaders had been placed on a highly classified computer system in a departure from normal practice in a bid to protect information that was politically sensitive, rather than sensitive for national security reasons.

Trump's 2017 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak was already considered controversial after it was learned that Trump disclosed highly classified information about a planned Islamic State operation.

On election interference, Trump told Lavrov and Kislyak he was not concerned about Russian meddling because the United States did the same in other countries, the Post reported.

CNN, citing people familiar with the matter, said efforts to limit access to Trump's conversations with foreign leaders extended to phone calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters that procedures for handling records of Trump's conversations with world leaders had changed early in his tenure after calls with Mexico's president and Australia's prime minister were leaked.

President Donald Trump told two Russian officials in a 2017 meeting that he was not concerned about Moscow's meddling in the US election, which prompted White House officials to limit access to the remarks, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

President Donald Trump told two Russian officials in a 2017 meeting that he was not concerned about Moscow's meddling in the US election, which prompted White House officials to limit access to the remarks, the Washington Post reported on Friday. A summary of Trump's Oval Office meeting with Russia's foreign minister and its ambassador to the US was limited to a few officials in an attempt to keep the president's comments from being disclosed publicly, the Post said, citing former officials with knowledge of the matter. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. A whistleblower complaint about a July phone call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden is at the heart of the US House of Representatives impeachment inquiry launched this week. A member of the US intelligence community who filed the complaint against Trump said notes from other conversations the president had with foreign leaders had been placed on a highly classified computer system in a departure from normal practice in a bid to protect information that was politically sensitive, rather than sensitive for national security reasons. Trump's 2017 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak was already considered controversial after it was learned that Trump disclosed highly classified information about a planned Islamic State operation. On election interference, Trump told Lavrov and Kislyak he was not concerned about Russian meddling because the United States did the same in other countries, the Post reported. CNN, citing people familiar with the matter, said efforts to limit access to Trump's conversations with foreign leaders extended to phone calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters that procedures for handling records of Trump's conversations with world leaders had changed early in his tenure after calls with Mexico's president and Australia's prime minister were leaked.

Trump told Russians in 2017 he was not concerned about election meddling: Report

Russia on Friday said that it detained more than 260 North Korean fishermen off its Far Eastern coast for poaching.

The mass arrests came after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/russian-court-to-consider-freeing-jailed-actor-after-outcry-250659">Russia</a> detained more than 160 North Korean fishermen in the Sea of Japan last week.

The FSB security service said that it stopped "three schooners and five motorboats with 262 North Koreans on board", Russian news agencies reported.

The fishermen did not resist arrest and were brought to the Far Eastern port of Nakhodka, it said.&nbsp;

Around 30,000 squids were seized along with illegal fishing equipment from the North Koreans, the security service added.

Last week, the FSB said three <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russia-joins-gulf-states-in-coaching-sudans-military-227032">Russian</a> coastguards were injured in a clash with a North Korean fishing boat, which it accused of carrying out an "armed attack."

Coastal patrols, planes and special forces were used to detain two schooners and 11 motorboats that carried 161 North Koreans.&nbsp;

They were also brought to Nakhodka and the FSB later said that one of the North Koreans injured in the clash died from his wounds.&nbsp;

After the incident Moscow summoned the North Korean charge d'affaires, expressing "serious concern" over the clash.

The Russian coastguard in the Far East frequently detain North Korean fishermen, many of whom use rudimentary wooden boats. Some receive prison sentences.&nbsp;

There are frequent disputes over fishing rights in the Sea of Japan, which is bordered by Japan, Russia and North and South Korea.

In July, North Korea released a Russian fishing boat with a crew of 15 Russians and two South Koreans after it was detained for violating entry regulations.

Russia on Friday said that it detained more than 260 North Korean fishermen off its Far Eastern coast for poaching. The mass arrests came after Russia detained more than 160 North Korean fishermen in the Sea of Japan last week.

Russia on Friday said that it detained more than 260 North Korean fishermen off its Far Eastern coast for poaching. The mass arrests came after Russia detained more than 160 North Korean fishermen in the Sea of Japan last week. The FSB security service said that it stopped "three schooners and five motorboats with 262 North Koreans on board", Russian news agencies reported. The fishermen did not resist arrest and were brought to the Far Eastern port of Nakhodka, it said. Around 30,000 squids were seized along with illegal fishing equipment from the North Koreans, the security service added. Last week, the FSB said three Russian coastguards were injured in a clash with a North Korean fishing boat, which it accused of carrying out an "armed attack." Coastal patrols, planes and special forces were used to detain two schooners and 11 motorboats that carried 161 North Koreans. They were also brought to Nakhodka and the FSB later said that one of the North Koreans injured in the clash died from his wounds. After the incident Moscow summoned the North Korean charge d'affaires, expressing "serious concern" over the clash. The Russian coastguard in the Far East frequently detain North Korean fishermen, many of whom use rudimentary wooden boats. Some receive prison sentences. There are frequent disputes over fishing rights in the Sea of Japan, which is bordered by Japan, Russia and North and South Korea. In July, North Korea released a Russian fishing boat with a crew of 15 Russians and two South Koreans after it was detained for violating entry regulations.

Russia detains over 260 North Korean fishermen

The crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates were nearly unanimous in praising House Democrats' decision to begin an impeachment inquiry into Republican President Donald Trump over accusations he sought foreign help to smear a political rival.

Now comes the hard part.

With impeachment set to overshadow the Democratic presidential primary race, how will candidates draw attention to their key policy issues, ranging from universal healthcare to income inequality?

After months of resisting pressure from fellow Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the launch of a formal impeachment effort on Tuesday, accusing Trump of seeking foreign help to damage Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden ahead of the November 2020 election.

Trump had pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 phone call to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who had worked for a company drilling for gas in Ukraine.

The impeachment inquiry ensures a partisan fight in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail in the coming months.

Kurt Meyer, Democratic party chairman for three rural Iowa counties north of Des Moines, the state's most populous city, said he expects the impeachment proceedings to energize the Democratic base.

"If a highly motivated person drags her mother and her husband and her second cousin twice removed to the polls, then it makes a difference," Meyer said.

But in a sign the probe could energize Trump's base as well, his re-election campaign raised a quarter of a million dollars in just 15 minutes on Tuesday in the immediate aftermath of Pelosi's announcement about the probe.

Trump was quick to portray himself as the victim of partisan Democratic attacks, while his campaign sent repeated fundraising appeals to his supporters on Tuesday pegged to the impeachment launch.

There is also a risk that any substantive policy discussions among the 19 Democrats running for the party's nomination to take on Trump in the 2020 election will be drowned out in the growing battle between allies and foes of Trump, several Democratic strategists and experts said.

"Trump has been the elephant in the room, but the democratic debates so far have been really policy centered. I think impeachment now takes center stage," said Erin O’Brien, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Doug Heye, a Republican strategist who worked with congressional leaders, said Republican messaging just got simpler, if less positive.

"For Democrats running for president, breaking through on healthcare or the economy just got a lot tougher," he said. "Impeachment will be the dominant topic for a long time."

Subject of Trump's Affection

Biden, who leads polls in the Democratic race to pick a challenger to Trump, said on Tuesday he would back impeachment if the Republican president fails to comply with congressional requests for information on Ukraine and other matters.

Trump has raised unsubstantiated charges that Biden improperly tried to halt a Ukrainian probe of a company with ties to his son, without providing any evidence of wrongdoing by either.

Later on Tuesday as he called into a fundraiser in Baltimore, Maryland, Biden said he "can take these attacks".

“And the reason I am being attacked is that most polls show me beating him by 10 to 15 points. I am not at all surprised I have become the object of his affection and attention," he said.

Biden leads Trump by about 5 percentage points in a hypothetical general election match-up against Trump, according to the Sept. 23-24 Reuters /Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.

In a sign that Biden's supporters are largely standing by their candidate so far, 20 per cent of Democrats and independents said they would vote for him in statewide nominating contests that begin next year according to the latest poll, up 1 percentage point from a similar poll that ran last week.

But the same poll also showed that Americans overall are less supportive of impeaching Trump than they were months ago, highlighting a risk of the move backfiring on Democrats if they are seen overreaching.

"On one level, this whole issue helps Biden, because it makes the president look afraid of Biden," said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia. "But the president has a great ability to drag people into the mud with him, and you wonder if that might happen to Biden."

Biden's Democratic rivals, including US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris, are set to benefit if the front-runner falls off. But most have so far refused to be drawn into specific questions about Biden and his family, and are likely to stay that way for now.

"On the one hand they want to see Biden struggle, but it might undermine the party overall in a general election," Kondik said.

Warren, who edged past Sanders for the first time to rank second behind Biden in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll with 14 &nbsp;per cent support, said on Twitter the impeachment inquiry was "an overdue but important step."

"No one is above the law not even the president of the United States," Warren said, without mentioning Biden. "Thank you to everyone who protested, organized, and asked the crucial questions to get us to this moment.

So far, Trump has proven remarkably resilient in the face of repeated scandals and retaining strong support from Republicans.

Democrats should act swiftly to convince voters their actions are necessary and prevent Trump from successfully arguing he is being unfairly prosecuted, said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist who advised Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Rebecca Cordova, 62, from the suburbs of Austin, Texas, who describes herself as an independent but voted for Trump in 2016, said it would take strong evidence of wrongdoing to dissuade her from voting for him again.

“I think the Democrats are just blowing smoke. They’re just trying to start something up like they did with (Russia)," she said, refering to former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian inteference in the 2016 US presidential election.

"I don’t believe the Russians helped and I don’t believe any of this with the Ukrainians, sorry."

The crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates were nearly unanimous in praising House Democrats' decision to begin an impeachment inquiry into Republican President Donald Trump over accusations he sought foreign help to smear a political rival.

The crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates were nearly unanimous in praising House Democrats' decision to begin an impeachment inquiry into Republican President Donald Trump over accusations he sought foreign help to smear a political rival. Now comes the hard part. With impeachment set to overshadow the Democratic presidential primary race, how will candidates draw attention to their key policy issues, ranging from universal healthcare to income inequality? After months of resisting pressure from fellow Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the launch of a formal impeachment effort on Tuesday, accusing Trump of seeking foreign help to damage Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden ahead of the November 2020 election. Trump had pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 phone call to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who had worked for a company drilling for gas in Ukraine. The impeachment inquiry ensures a partisan fight in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail in the coming months. Kurt Meyer, Democratic party chairman for three rural Iowa counties north of Des Moines, the state's most populous city, said he expects the impeachment proceedings to energize the Democratic base. "If a highly motivated person drags her mother and her husband and her second cousin twice removed to the polls, then it makes a difference," Meyer said. But in a sign the probe could energize Trump's base as well, his re-election campaign raised a quarter of a million dollars in just 15 minutes on Tuesday in the immediate aftermath of Pelosi's announcement about the probe. Trump was quick to portray himself as the victim of partisan Democratic attacks, while his campaign sent repeated fundraising appeals to his supporters on Tuesday pegged to the impeachment launch. There is also a risk that any substantive policy discussions among the 19 Democrats running for the party's nomination to take on Trump in the 2020 election will be drowned out in the growing battle between allies and foes of Trump, several Democratic strategists and experts said. "Trump has been the elephant in the room, but the democratic debates so far have been really policy centered. I think impeachment now takes center stage," said Erin O’Brien, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Doug Heye, a Republican strategist who worked with congressional leaders, said Republican messaging just got simpler, if less positive. "For Democrats running for president, breaking through on healthcare or the economy just got a lot tougher," he said. "Impeachment will be the dominant topic for a long time." Subject of Trump's Affection Biden, who leads polls in the Democratic race to pick a challenger to Trump, said on Tuesday he would back impeachment if the Republican president fails to comply with congressional requests for information on Ukraine and other matters. Trump has raised unsubstantiated charges that Biden improperly tried to halt a Ukrainian probe of a company with ties to his son, without providing any evidence of wrongdoing by either. Later on Tuesday as he called into a fundraiser in Baltimore, Maryland, Biden said he "can take these attacks". “And the reason I am being attacked is that most polls show me beating him by 10 to 15 points. I am not at all surprised I have become the object of his affection and attention," he said. Biden leads Trump by about 5 percentage points in a hypothetical general election match-up against Trump, according to the Sept. 23-24 Reuters /Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday. In a sign that Biden's supporters are largely standing by their candidate so far, 20 per cent of Democrats and independents said they would vote for him in statewide nominating contests that begin next year according to the latest poll, up 1 percentage point from a similar poll that ran last week. But the same poll also showed that Americans overall are less supportive of impeaching Trump than they were months ago, highlighting a risk of the move backfiring on Democrats if they are seen overreaching. "On one level, this whole issue helps Biden, because it makes the president look afraid of Biden," said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia. "But the president has a great ability to drag people into the mud with him, and you wonder if that might happen to Biden." Biden's Democratic rivals, including US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris, are set to benefit if the front-runner falls off. But most have so far refused to be drawn into specific questions about Biden and his family, and are likely to stay that way for now. "On the one hand they want to see Biden struggle, but it might undermine the party overall in a general election," Kondik said. Warren, who edged past Sanders for the first time to rank second behind Biden in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll with 14 per cent support, said on Twitter the impeachment inquiry was "an overdue but important step." "No one is above the law not even the president of the United States," Warren said, without mentioning Biden. "Thank you to everyone who protested, organized, and asked the crucial questions to get us to this moment. So far, Trump has proven remarkably resilient in the face of repeated scandals and retaining strong support from Republicans. Democrats should act swiftly to convince voters their actions are necessary and prevent Trump from successfully arguing he is being unfairly prosecuted, said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist who advised Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Rebecca Cordova, 62, from the suburbs of Austin, Texas, who describes herself as an independent but voted for Trump in 2016, said it would take strong evidence of wrongdoing to dissuade her from voting for him again. “I think the Democrats are just blowing smoke. They’re just trying to start something up like they did with (Russia)," she said, refering to former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian inteference in the 2016 US presidential election. "I don’t believe the Russians helped and I don’t believe any of this with the Ukrainians, sorry."

Be careful what you wish for: Impeachment inquiry poses risks for 2020 Democrats

Seven members of a Philippine "dragon boat" team were killed Wednesday when their boat capsized off the island of Boracay as they trained for an international race, rescuers and colleagues said.

Large waves swamped and overturned the wooden boat off one of the world's most famous tropical holiday resorts, killing four male and three female rowers at sunrise, they added.

"There are many rocks in the area so it's possible that they hit their head on them," local disaster officer Catherine Ong Fulgencio told AFP by telephone, explaining why they did not survive even though they could swim.

Fourteen other team members, including a Chinese and a Russian woman, were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment, Fulgencio added.

The Filipino victims were training for the Kaohsiung City Cup scheduled for the southern Taiwanese city in November, said team member Remedy Aquino, who was not aboard the boat.

Dragon boat racing is a popular sport in the Philippines and many parts of Asia, where 20 paddlers sitting two abreast atop a long wooden 12-metre (39-foot) boat sandwiched by a cox who steers the vessel from the rear and a drummer in front.

Seven members of a Philippine "dragon boat" team were killed Wednesday when their boat capsized off the island of Boracay as they trained for an international race, rescuers and colleagues said.

Seven members of a Philippine "dragon boat" team were killed Wednesday when their boat capsized off the island of Boracay as they trained for an international race, rescuers and colleagues said. Large waves swamped and overturned the wooden boat off one of the world's most famous tropical holiday resorts, killing four male and three female rowers at sunrise, they added. "There are many rocks in the area so it's possible that they hit their head on them," local disaster officer Catherine Ong Fulgencio told AFP by telephone, explaining why they did not survive even though they could swim. Fourteen other team members, including a Chinese and a Russian woman, were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment, Fulgencio added. The Filipino victims were training for the Kaohsiung City Cup scheduled for the southern Taiwanese city in November, said team member Remedy Aquino, who was not aboard the boat. Dragon boat racing is a popular sport in the Philippines and many parts of Asia, where 20 paddlers sitting two abreast atop a long wooden 12-metre (39-foot) boat sandwiched by a cox who steers the vessel from the rear and a drummer in front.

Seven rowers die in training accident off top Philippine resort

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday demanded that President Donald Trump release the transcript of his July phone call where he reportedly pressured his Ukrainian counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-leader-says-russia-sanctions-must-remain-in-place-249448">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> to investigate Biden's son.

"If these reports are true, then there is truly no bottom to President Trump's willingness to abuse his power and abase our country. This behaviour is particularly abhorrent because it exploits the foreign policy of our country and undermines our national security for political purposes," Biden said in the statement, as cited by the Hill.

<iframe data-google-container-id="4" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/6516239/outofpage_1x1_desktop_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/6516239/outofpage_1x1_desktop_0" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>CNN cited a report by the Wall Street Journal as saying that Trump pressured Zelensky during the July phone call to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Biden's son Hunter.

The call took place on July 25, just one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress about Russian interference in US elections, and was also part of a whistleblower complaint submitted to the Intelligence Community Inspector General.

While Trump has downplayed the significance of whistleblower's complaint, he did not deny discussing Biden with Zelensky during the phone call.

"It's a partisan whistleblower. They shouldn't even have information. I've had conversations with many leaders. They're always appropriate," Trump told reporters.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday demanded that President Donald Trump release the transcript of his July phone call where he reportedly pressured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden's son.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday demanded that President Donald Trump release the transcript of his July phone call where he reportedly pressured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden's son. "If these reports are true, then there is truly no bottom to President Trump's willingness to abuse his power and abase our country. This behaviour is particularly abhorrent because it exploits the foreign policy of our country and undermines our national security for political purposes," Biden said in the statement, as cited by the Hill. CNN cited a report by the Wall Street Journal as saying that Trump pressured Zelensky during the July phone call to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Biden's son Hunter. The call took place on July 25, just one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress about Russian interference in US elections, and was also part of a whistleblower complaint submitted to the Intelligence Community Inspector General. While Trump has downplayed the significance of whistleblower's complaint, he did not deny discussing Biden with Zelensky during the phone call. "It's a partisan whistleblower. They shouldn't even have information. I've had conversations with many leaders. They're always appropriate," Trump told reporters.

Biden demands Trump release transcript of July phone call with Ukrainian President

A campaign in support of jailed Russian demonstrators gained momentum Wednesday, with celebrities, priests and teachers calling for their release and more than 200 people protesting outside the presidential administration.

This month, six people received jail terms ranging from two to four years following a wave of anti-government protests in Moscow.

The sentencing of young actor Pavel Ustinov caused particular outrage, sparking a rare solidarity drive among popular actors and other Kremlin-friendly celebrities.

Dozens of stars with millions of followers on social media who usually steer clear of politics took to Instagram, saying Ustinov, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for violence against police, was simply an innocent bystander.

On Wednesday, the campaign grew bigger as scores of people including popular actors staged one-man pickets outside the offices of President Vladimir Putin's administration in central Moscow.

It is the only kind of demonstration Russians are permitted to hold without giving prior notice to the authorities.

One by one, the protesters held a placard calling for Ustinov's freedom while others waited their turn in a long line.

'Something went wrong'

&nbsp;Some said all the jailed protesters should walk free, brandishing a placard "I am/We are the entire country."

"There's a feeling that something went wrong," popular actress Alexandra Bortich said at the protest.

"We want Pavel and other wrongfully convicted people to be released," theatre director Dmitry Sobolev told AFP.

Musician Anton Sevidov of synthpop band Tesla Boy suggested Russian society was slowly waking up.

"It's cool that people come out in support of Ustinov," he told AFP.

"Unfortunately, politicians did not learn anything from the history of our country."

Opposition leader Lyubov Sobol also appeared at the protest, sporting a T-shirt in support of one of the jailed activists.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin would take the solidarity campaign into account and stressed that the actor's defence planned to appeal the verdict.

"Perhaps we should wait for the results of this appeal," he said.

Ustinov's lawyer, Dmitry Cheshkov, said a court date had yet to be set.

The celebrities have compared Ustinov's case with that of journalist Ivan Golunov, detained in June on trumped-up drug charges.

He was freed after an unprecedented solidarity campaign, which saw three major newspapers publish the same front page with the headline "I am/we are Ivan Golunov".

'Perjury is sin'

Over the summer, tens of thousands of people took part in protests demanding a fair vote after allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were barred from standing for the Moscow parliament in polls earlier this month.

More than a dozen people faced prison time on charges of mass unrest and attacking policemen after the protests.

Seven people were jailed, including a man who was sentenced to five years in prison over a controversial tweet.

This month, investigators dropped the mass unrest charges against five men.

A court on Wednesday returned the case of one protester, Aidar Gubaidulin, to the prosecutors and released him from custody.

In an unprecedented move, more than 70 Orthodox clerics have joined the campaign.

In an open letter published by the news site Pravmir which covers religious and other issues, the priests said the court rulings were apparently aimed at "intimidating" society.

The priests warned riot police and others against perjury, referencing the Bible.

"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish," they said.

In another open letter, nearly 800 teachers slammed "egregious lawlessness" and called for punishment for those who violated the law and jailed the protesters.

In a new twist, the ruling United Russia party joined the chorus of support, with Andrei Turchak, secretary of its general council, defending Ustinov.

The actors and comedians to have joined the celebrities' campaign include Oleg Menshikov, who starred in French director Regis Wargnier's film East/West.

A campaign in support of jailed Russian demonstrators gained momentum Wednesday, with celebrities, priests and teachers calling for their release and more than 200 people protesting outside the presidential administration.

A campaign in support of jailed Russian demonstrators gained momentum Wednesday, with celebrities, priests and teachers calling for their release and more than 200 people protesting outside the presidential administration. This month, six people received jail terms ranging from two to four years following a wave of anti-government protests in Moscow. The sentencing of young actor Pavel Ustinov caused particular outrage, sparking a rare solidarity drive among popular actors and other Kremlin-friendly celebrities. Dozens of stars with millions of followers on social media who usually steer clear of politics took to Instagram, saying Ustinov, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for violence against police, was simply an innocent bystander. On Wednesday, the campaign grew bigger as scores of people including popular actors staged one-man pickets outside the offices of President Vladimir Putin's administration in central Moscow. It is the only kind of demonstration Russians are permitted to hold without giving prior notice to the authorities. One by one, the protesters held a placard calling for Ustinov's freedom while others waited their turn in a long line. 'Something went wrong' Some said all the jailed protesters should walk free, brandishing a placard "I am/We are the entire country." "There's a feeling that something went wrong," popular actress Alexandra Bortich said at the protest. "We want Pavel and other wrongfully convicted people to be released," theatre director Dmitry Sobolev told AFP. Musician Anton Sevidov of synthpop band Tesla Boy suggested Russian society was slowly waking up. "It's cool that people come out in support of Ustinov," he told AFP. "Unfortunately, politicians did not learn anything from the history of our country." Opposition leader Lyubov Sobol also appeared at the protest, sporting a T-shirt in support of one of the jailed activists. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin would take the solidarity campaign into account and stressed that the actor's defence planned to appeal the verdict. "Perhaps we should wait for the results of this appeal," he said. Ustinov's lawyer, Dmitry Cheshkov, said a court date had yet to be set. The celebrities have compared Ustinov's case with that of journalist Ivan Golunov, detained in June on trumped-up drug charges. He was freed after an unprecedented solidarity campaign, which saw three major newspapers publish the same front page with the headline "I am/we are Ivan Golunov". 'Perjury is sin' Over the summer, tens of thousands of people took part in protests demanding a fair vote after allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were barred from standing for the Moscow parliament in polls earlier this month. More than a dozen people faced prison time on charges of mass unrest and attacking policemen after the protests. Seven people were jailed, including a man who was sentenced to five years in prison over a controversial tweet. This month, investigators dropped the mass unrest charges against five men. A court on Wednesday returned the case of one protester, Aidar Gubaidulin, to the prosecutors and released him from custody. In an unprecedented move, more than 70 Orthodox clerics have joined the campaign. In an open letter published by the news site Pravmir which covers religious and other issues, the priests said the court rulings were apparently aimed at "intimidating" society. The priests warned riot police and others against perjury, referencing the Bible. "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish," they said. In another open letter, nearly 800 teachers slammed "egregious lawlessness" and called for punishment for those who violated the law and jailed the protesters. In a new twist, the ruling United Russia party joined the chorus of support, with Andrei Turchak, secretary of its general council, defending Ustinov. The actors and comedians to have joined the celebrities' campaign include Oleg Menshikov, who starred in French director Regis Wargnier's film East/West.

Russians protest over crackdown in growing solidarity campaign

russia-0

Russia, News on Russia, stories on Russia, articles on Russia, Russia stories at Wion, Russia news, Russia latest news

russia 0