Putin withdraws Russian troops from Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Khmeimim Airbase in Syria’s Latakia province on Monday morning. He ordered the start of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.
“I order the defense minister and chief of the general staff to start the withdrawal of Russian troops to the site of their permanent deployment,” Putin stated, speaking in front of Russian military personnel at Khmeimim.
The Russian leader added that in the space of two years the Russian and Syrian militaries have “defeated the most battle-hardened grouping of international terrorists.”
Global Protests over Trump’s Jerusalem declaration
Global protests were encountered in the Middle East, other Islamic nations in support of Palestine on Sunday over US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital a move that has drawn global debate, ignited days of unrest in the Palestinian territories.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinians needed to come to terms with Jerusalem’s long Jewish history. “It’s always been our capital,” he said at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
“I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we’ll move towards peace.”
Netanyahu accuses Erdogan of helping ‘terrorists’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who has repeatedly warned of the consequences of Trump’s move — lashed out Sunday by calling Israel a “terrorist state” that “kills children”.
Netanyahu hit back, calling Erdogan a leader who “bombs Kurdish villagers” and “helps terrorists”.
Trump’s Wednesday announcement sparked days of protests and clashes in the Palestinian territories. Four Palestinians were killed either in clashes or by Israeli air strikes in retaliation for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard at Jerusalem’s central bus station, seriously wounding him. The assailant was arrested.
Tens of thousands of people have protested in Muslim and Arab countries, including Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Malaysia.
On Sunday, further protests were held in countries including Lebanon, Indonesia, Egypt, and Morocco as well as in the Palestinian territories.
Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at several hundred demonstrators near the American embassy.
Tens of thousands also rallied in Morocco’s capital Rabat.
Venezuela opposition banned from running in 2018 election
Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, says the country’s main opposition parties are banned from taking part in next year’s presidential election. He said only parties which took part in yesterday’s mayoral polls would be able to contest the presidency.
Leaders from the Justice First, Popular Will and Democratic Action parties boycotted the vote and said the electoral system is biased. In October, the three main opposition parties announced they would be boycotting yesterday’s vote to elect mayors in more than 300 towns and cities.They said the vote served what they called President Maduro’s dictatorship.
President Maduro insists the Venezuelan system is entirely trustworthy. In a speech, he said the opposition parties had disappeared from the political map. He said a party that had not participated in yesterday’s vote and called for the boycott of the elections can not participate anymore.
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