VOA NEWS

September 19, 2015

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting. Russia has sent fighter aircraft to Syria.



U.S. officials said Friday that Russia had deployed four Sukoi attack aircraft to an air base near Latakia. A total of eight Russian helicopters had also been spotted.

Speaking in London, Secretary of State John Kerry said that the Obama administration is pursuing discussions with Moscow to avoid any misunderstanding between the two governments.

"The president believes that a military-to-military conversation is an important next step, and I think, hopefully, it will take place very shortly and it will help to define some of the different options available to us as we consider next steps in Syria."

At the Pentagon, meanwhile, officials said that Defense Secretary Ash Carter had a constructive conversation about Syria Friday with Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu.

Until now, U.S. defense officials have been weary of talks with Russia, saying that Moscow had failed to make its intentions in Syria clear.



Croatia sent at least 1,000 migrants to Hungary by train and bus Friday after saying it can no longer register or accommodate the new arrivals.

Hungary in turn put the migrants onto other trains and buses that police said were headed to registration points near the border with Austria. Austria did not say what will become of the migrants once they get there.

Earlier Friday, Croatia's prime minister said that his country cannot and will not close its borders but will redirect migrants to Hungary after more than 17,000 crossed into Croatia.



This is VOA news.



At least 29 people have been killed and 30 others wounded after militants attacked a Pakistani air force base in northwestern Pakistan Friday. As Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabad, the Pakistani Taliban is claiming responsibility.

Authorities say heavily armed militants in paramilitary forces uniforms staged the attack on Badhaber base near the city of Peshawar.

Army spokesman Major-General Asim Bajaw says the assailants stormed a main gate just before dawn.

"They got there and then they used rocket launcher and grenade and just busted the gate."

He says some of the attackers stormed a mosque near the gate and lobbed grenades on worshipers before spraying them with bullets, killing 16 people.

The militants then entered an adjacent block to kill several other people before being surrounded and killed by what officials call the quick reaction force.

The outlawed Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the violence.

Ayaz Gul, for VOA news, Islamabad.



Coup leaders in Burkina Faso say they have freed the country's interim president as a gesture of good-will following Wednesday's takeover.

The coup leaders said in a statement that interim President Michel Kafando is now in his official residence and said the move to release him is a sign of easing tensions.

Kafando, who was detained when members of the presidential guards stormed a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, has not made any public appearance or statement.

The country's prime minister, Isaac Zida, who was detained at the same time as the president, reportedly remains under house arrest.

The African Union suspended Burkina Faso on Friday because of the coup and threatened sanctions against the coup leaders unless they free the country's interim president and prime minister.



The United States eased restrictions on travel and business on Cuba Friday, marking another notable advance in the thawing of relations between Washington and Havana.

The changes in U.S. Treasury and Commerce regulations will allow for increased travel opportunity to Cuba for Americans. It will provide Cubans with access to telecommunications and will promote growth of business opportunities within the island nation.

Close relatives in some authorized travel categories will now be allowed to go to Cuba. Cargo, passenger and some recreational vehicles will also be allowed to travel to Cuba under a general license. Senior administration officials said they did not "see these moves as a chipping away at tourism restrictions." General tourist travel to Cuba remains prohibited.



And concerns after the U.S. central bank's warnings about the global economy sent stock prices lower on Wall Street. European markets were also slow. Asian markets were mixed.



I'm David Byrd in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.