Russian jets hit a gas facility, a cement factory and several towns and cities in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border on Sunday, as Syrian army artillery killed seven civilians and injured 14 medics in an attack on a hospital in the area, witnesses and rebel sources said. The sources …
Read More »US dithers over withdrawal from Afghanistan as Russia steps in
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said on Tuesday a May 1 deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan may have to be reconsidered because the Taliban are not meeting their commitments under a 2020 peace deal. “I’m very concerned about the viability of the peace process in …
Read More »Turkey insists it has stronger interests with US than Russia
The common interests of Turkey and the United States outweigh their differences and Ankara wants improved cooperation with Washington, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday striking a rare conciliatory tone. Ties between the two NATO allies have been strained over a host of issues. In December, the United States sanctioned …
Read More »Turkey trying to resume F-35 purchases, with US lobby help
Turkey has hired a Washington-based law firm to lobby for its readmission to the US F-35 fighter jet program after it was suspended over its purchase of Russian air defenses, a contract filed with the US Department of Justice showed. Ankara had ordered more than 100 stealth fighters and has …
Read More »S-400 dispute escalates, Turkey won’t backdown to US pressure
Turkey will not turn back from its acquisition of Russian S-400 defense systems despite U.S. sanctions, it said on Thursday, but added it would seek to resolve issues with its NATO ally through dialogue. In December, Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara for acquiring the S-400s on grounds they threaten its …
Read More »Erdogan, Biden speak for first time, over phone
Top advisers for Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on the phone on Tuesday, marking the first official contact between the two countries since Biden took office nearly two weeks ago. Erdogan’s Chief Foreign Policy Adviser Ibrahim Kalin and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed …
Read More »Syrian Constitutional Committee in deadlock, UN envoy says
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria voiced deep frustration on Friday that the Syrian Constitutional Committee had failed to start drafting a new charter at its latest session after the government delegation rejected proposals. The committee, comprising representatives of Syria’s government, opposition and civil society, has a mandate to …
Read More »Car bomb targets Russian base in northern Syria
A car bomb detonated near a Russian military base in northeastern Syria on Friday in the first such militant attack in the area against the ally of Damascus, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported several wounded in the attack after midnight in the …
Read More »All Turkish factions unite against US sanctions
Turkey’s parliament showed rare near unity on Tuesday in condemning U.S. sanctions over its procurement of Russian defence systems, and said the country will not hesitate to protect itself in the face of threats. On Monday, Washington imposed the sanctions targeting NATO member Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industry (SSB), its …
Read More »Russia, Iran help Venezuela beat US sanctions regime
On Aug. 21, a tanker called the Otoman docked at the Jose oil terminal on Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean to load 1.82 million barrels of heavy crude, according to the state oil company’s internal documents. Yet no tanker with that name is registered in major global shipping databases. Muddying …
Read More »US takes news measures against Assad regime with targeted sanctions
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on officials, entities and individuals it accused of providing support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as Washington continued its efforts to cut off funds for Assad’s government. The action, which also targeted the Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, aims to push …
Read More »Russian hackers interfering with US presidential elections
The group of Russian hackers accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election earlier this year targeted the email accounts of Democratic state parties in California and Indiana, and influential think tanks in Washington and New York, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The attempted intrusions, many …
Read More »Erdogan admits to S-400 test in defiance of US
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Friday that Turkey had been testing the S-400 air defence systems that it bought from Russia and said U.S. objections on the issue did not matter. Washington says Ankara’s purchase of the Russian systems compromises NATO defences, and has threatened sanctions. An apparent firing …
Read More »Trump presidential debates goes silent because of offensive words
The final debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden will feature a mute button to allow each candidate to speak uninterrupted, organizers said on Monday, looking to avoid the disruptions that marred the first matchup. The Trump campaign voiced objections to the change – made after the …
Read More »Turkey angers US with test run of Russian missile system
A missile was fired into the sky on Friday on Turkey’s Black Sea coast where the military was expected to test its Russian-made S-400 defence systems, according to local video obtained by Reuters, drawing a strong warning from the United States. The video, taken in the coastal city of Sinop, …
Read More »Pompeo attempt to settle Azer-Armenia dispute fade
Armenian and Azeri forces fought new clashes on Friday, defying hopes of ending nearly three weeks of fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Turkey for inflaming the situation by arming the Azeris. The worst outbreak of violence in the South Caucasus since Armenia …
Read More »Turkey, Russia to decide fate of Syria, Libya
Turkish and Russian officials will meet in Ankara this week for a new round of talks on developments in Syria and Libya, where the two countries back opposing sides, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday. “Consultations between Turkish and Russian interagency delegations on Libya and Syria will continue at a …
Read More »Prosecutor quits in Trump, Russian election interference case
A senior aide to the Connecticut federal prosecutor in charge of investigating the origins of the FBI’s probe into contacts between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia has resigned from the Justice Department, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said. Nora Dannehy, who had been working with Connecticut U.S. attorney …
Read More »UPDATE – Lavrov in Syria for talks, calls for peace and rebuilding
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Damascus on Monday for talks with President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s foreign minister, the RIA news agency reported. Following his meeting with the Syrian president Lavrov said that Syria needed international help to rebuild its economy. For his part Syrian President Bashar al Assad …
Read More »US voices concerns over alteractions with Russian forces in Syria
The United States has conveyed its concerns to Russia over an incident in Syria in which several U.S. troops were injured when a Russian military vehicle collided with theirs, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said on Friday. “It’s been communicated to them (Russia) very clearly,” O’Brien told a White House …
Read More »UN report charges Russian with escalation of mercenary aid in Libya
Russia has stepped up its logistic support for private military contractor Wagner Group in Libya with some 338 military cargo flights from Syria in the nine months to July 31 to aid Wagner fighters backing eastern-based Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters on Wednesday. …
Read More »US troops hurt in friction with Russians in Syria
A small number of U.S. troops were injured during an interaction with Russian forces in Syria, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday. While such interactions between American and Russian forces are not rare, the incident highlights the risks of troops from both countries operating in close proximity in northern …
Read More »Iran pushes new missile tech as US tries to renew sanctions
Iran inaugurated a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1,400 km and a new cruise missile, Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami said in a televised speech on Thursday, ignoring U.S. demands that Tehran halt its missile program. “The surface-to-surface missile, called martyr Qassem Soleimani, has a range of 1,400 …
Read More »Iranian, Russian hackers feared to pose threat for Trump re-election
When Mohamad first got the text message offering him up to $10 million for information about attempts to interfere with the U.S. election, he thought it was “some kind of cyber attack.” But when the Tehran-based software developer logged on to Twitter he realized he was one of an unknown …
Read More »UPDATES – Latest revelations on Russian mercenaries
A Russian diplomat said on Monday a group of more than 30 suspected Russian mercenaries detained in Belarus last week were only passing through Minsk and were on their way to an unnamed Latin American state. Belarusian authorities have said they suspect the men entered their country to plot “acts …
Read More »Putin and Erdogan talk Armenia and Azerbaijan
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call Monday called for peace talks to end clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Kremlin said. The phone call at Turkey’s initiative took place after Armenia’s military said one of its soldiers was killed by sniper fire from …
Read More »Russia intercept US spy planes over black sea
The Russian defence ministry said it had sent a Su-27 fighter plane on Monday to intercept a U.S. surveillance plane over the Black Sea that it said was approaching the Russian border. The U.S. plane, identified as a P-8 Poseidon, has changed course to move away from the Russian border, …
Read More »Anti-Russian report to be published in UK soon
A long-delayed report into Russian influence in British politics will be published in the next week, parliament’s intelligence and security committee agreed on Thursday, a day after a dispute over the appointment of its chairman. The committee, which oversees the work of Britain’s intelligence community, has been in focus since …
Read More »In unprecedented move UK sanctions, Russian, Saudi individuals
Britain’s first sanctions will target 25 Russian nationals it says were involved in the mistreatement and death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and 20 Saudi nationals held to be involved in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the foreign ministry said on Monday. Addressing parliament, foreign minister Dominic Raab said: “The …
Read More »Rouhani wants US out of Syria, period
The illegitimate presence of U.S. forces in Syria should end immediately, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a video conference broadcast on Iranian state TV on Wednesday. Iran would continue its support for Syria’s legal government, Rouhani said. Source: Reuters
Read More »France angry about Russia, Turkey in Libya
France’s president on Monday accused Turkey of massively importing jihadists into Libya, labeling Ankara’s intervention “criminal” and he lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambivalence towards his country’s mercenaries operating in the North African state. Ties between NATO allies France and Turkey have soured in recent weeks over Libya, Northern Syria …
Read More »Turkey scoffs at Egyptian peace plan for Libya
Turkey on Wednesday dismissed Egypt’s proposal for a ceasefire in Libya, saying the plan aimed to save Khalifa Haftar after the collapse of his offensive to control the capital Tripoli, Hurriyet newspaper reported. Turkey supports Fayez al Serraj’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), whose forces have in recent …
Read More »Erdogan in urgent talks with Trump on Libya
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the conflict in Libya with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Monday and that the two leaders agreed on “some issues” related to developments there. Turkey supports the internationally recognised government of Fayez al Serraj, whose forces have in recent …
Read More »Syrian fighters to join Haftar’s cause, with Russian help
A Russian drive to recruit Syrians to fight in Libya for militia leader Khalifa Haftar accelerated in May when hundreds of mercenaries were signed up, five Syrian opposition sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said. Private military contractor Wagner Group is conducting the hiring with Russian army …
Read More »Russian MiGs headed to Syria
Russia flew a batch of advanced MiG-29 fighter jets to Syria, Moscow’s embassy in Damascus said, with Syrian pilots already using the planes to conduct missions within the country’s airspace. President Vladimir Putin last week ordered Russia’s foreign and defence ministries to hold talks with its close ally, Syria, to …
Read More »Saudi says Mexico needs to join OPEC deal
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said on Friday that a final OPEC+ oil supply pact to reduce 10 million barrels per day (bpd), which was agreed on Thursday, hinges on Mexico joining in the cuts. OPEC, Russia and other allies, a group known as OPEC+, outlined plans on Thursday to cut …
Read More »Syria ceasefire agreed but Turks launch counter-offensive just in time
Turkey staged an attack with a combat drone against Syrian government forces in Syria’s Idlib on Thursday before a ceasefire went into effect, destroying military equipment and “neutralising” soldiers, the Turkish defense ministry said. It said the drone attack occurred around 4 p.m. (1300 GMT). Later in the day, Turkey …
Read More »Russia accuses Turkey of common front wih Idlib rebels
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that fortified rebel positions in Syria’s Idlib province had merged with Turkish observation posts, and that artillery attacks on nearby civilian areas and Russia’s air base in Syria had become daily. The allegations, made by Major-General Igor Konashenkov, are likely to increase tensions …
Read More »Russia can no longer guarantee safety of Turkish planes over Syria
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Moscow could not guarantee the safety of Turkish planes flying in Syria after Damascus said it was closing the air space over the Idlib region, the TASS news agency reported. The ministry issued the warning after Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes …
Read More »Turkey wants drone access in Syria from Russians
Turkey and Russia are discussing opening Russian-controlled air space in Syria’s Idlib region for armed and unarmed drones, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying on Thursday, but he added that problems over the issue persisted. Speaking to reporters in parliament, Akar said Ankara was “hopeful” about ongoing …
Read More »UN want immediate halt to bloodshed in Idlib
The United Nations reiterated its appeal on Friday for a halt to hostilities in northwest Syria, saying it feared that the violence “may end in a bloodbath”. Some 60% of the 900,000 people who have fled but are trapped in a shrinking space are children, OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told …
Read More »Merkle, Macron call for decisive action in Idlib
The leaders of Germany and France called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to express their concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria’s Idlib region, urging an end to the conflict there, a German spokesman said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke together by phone with …
Read More »Escalation of situation between Turkey, Russia over Syria
Russia on Wednesday accused Turkey of flouting agreements it had made with Moscow on Syria and of aggravating the situation in Idlib where Syrian forces have made gains in their campaign to eliminate the last insurgent bastion in a nine-year-old war. That offensive has fueled violence in Idlib, in northwest …
Read More »Turkey takes decisive action against Syrian forces
Turkish forces have hit 115 Syrian government targets and destroyed 101 of them in retaliation for an attack that killed five Turkish soldiers in Syria’s rebel-held northwest, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Monday. The ministry said Turkish forces would continue to retaliate any attacks on its troops, which have …
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