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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Forrest reporting. Russian troops may be headed to Syria.
A Russian lawmaker says what he calls "a unit of Russian volunteers," including men who have fought in eastern Ukraine, may join Syrian government troops fighting in Syria. A Russian admiral says Russian involvement on the ground in Syria is "likely." The remarks follow reports that Russian volunteers already have been spotted fighting alongside the Syrian army. Turkey, meanwhile, is reporting multiple incursions by Russian fighter jets in its airspace over two days. Dorian Jones takes a look. Turkish government officials say the country's military radar locked on to the Russian jet and Turkish air force F16 fighters were scrambled to intercept it. A Turkish official quoted in the media said its jets would have engaged but the Russian plane returned to Syria airspace. Under current laws of engagement, Turkish forces cannot attack any warplane operating from Syria that breaches its airspace. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned Russia against future violations. Dorian Jones, Istanbul. The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations reached a final agreement Monday on a broad free trade pact. The pact will cut taxes and reduce trade barriers for nearly half of the world's economy. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a major foreign policy victory for U.S. President Barack Obama even though congressional passage is far from certain. Analysts say TPP could counter the growing influence of China. Liberian Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan has resigned, saying he wants to be a participant in the upcoming 2017 presidential and general elections. He has served the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration for 10 years as finance minister, director of the budget and foreign minister. This is VOA news. Libya's internationally recognized parliament on Monday extended its mandate past its October 20 expiration, a move that may complicate U.N. peace efforts. A parliamentary spokesman calls Monday's vote, in his words, "a precautionary measure in case the political talks fail." U.N. officials had set October 20, the day parliament was supposed to disband, as a deadline for an agreement. It's unclear what will happen now. At least 37 people were killed in a series of car bombings across Iraq. Police say the largest bomb exploded near a crowded market in the predominantly Shiite town of Khalis. An attack killed 10 people at another market in the town of Al Zubair. And Baghdad police say a car bomb exploded in the Hussainiya district on the northern outskirts of the city. Officials in Nigeria say at least 74 of the country's citizens were killed last month in the stampede at the annual Hajj. Chris Stein has more. According to the latest figures from Nigeria's Hajj commission, 74 Nigerians died in the stampede and another 64 were injured. News reports indicate Nigeria suffered more casualties than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa. And the death toll may still rise. Two-hundred-and-44 Nigerians who went to the Hajj remain missing. Commission officials are searching for them after the government called for every Nigerian pilgrim to be accounted for. Chris Stein, Lagos. The Afghan military called for the American airstrike against Taliban fighters at a hospital in Kunduz that killed 22 medical workers and patients. That word comes from U.S. Army General John Campbell, the top commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan. "As has been reported, I've ordered a thorough investigation into this tragic incident and the investigation is ongoing. The Afghans ordered the same. If errors were committed we'll acknowledge them." General Campbell spoke to reporters Monday at the Pentagon. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced the creation of two new marine sanctuaries in the states of Maryland and Wisconsin. He delivered that message via video to an international conference on the world's marine ecosystems. Other countries are also expected to announce similar moves at the two-day Our Ocean 2015 conference in Chile. The U.S. Justice Department and five states have finalized a settlement of $20.8 billion to resolve claims against the BP Company. Those charges stem from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The death toll from last week's landslide on the outskirts of Guatemala's capital has risen to 131. Authorities say finding any survivors from the landslide is highly unlikely. More than 100 people remain missing. From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David Forrest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |