Why Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement

Putin’s spokesman said the Russian president considered the attack an attempt to distract attention from the heavy civilian casualties caused by a U.S.-backed offensive to capture the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State group.

Russian president Putin

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday condemned a U.S. missile strike against Syrian government forces as an attack on its ally and said it was suspending an agreement to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents between U.S. and Russian aircraft operating over Syria.
Even as Russian officials expressed hope that the strike against Syrian President Bashad al-Assad’s forces would not lead to an irreversible breakdown in U.S. relations with Moscow, the Kremlin’s decision to suspend the 2015 memorandum of understanding on the air operations immediately raised tensions in the skies over Syria.

Ukrainian crisis: America will hold Russia accountable while searching for common ground – Pence

US President Donald Trump believes common ground can be found with Russia, but Moscow must still be held accountable for the Ukrainian crisis, Vice President Mike Pence has said. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, He said, “The United States will continue to hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground, which as you know, President Trump believes can be found.”

In his first major foreign policy address for the Trump administration, Pence issued a hardline statement, saying the US would demand that Moscow “honors the Minsk agreement, beginning by deescalating the violence in eastern Ukraine.” The US and its European allies have been claiming that Moscow is backing the rebel movement in eastern Ukraine against the post-coup Kiev government.

US President Donald Trump expects Russia to ‘return Crimea' – White House

US President Donald Trump has been tough on Russia and expects

Moscow to “return” the Crimea peninsula to Ukraine, the White House spokesman told reporters.

Addressing the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn – hounded by the media over his contacts with Russian diplomats prior to Trump’s inauguration – Spicer pointed out that Russia “seized” Crimea under the Obama administration and that the Trump-appointed ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has “strongly denounced the Russian occupation.”

Trump has made it clear that he expects Russia to “de-escalate the situation” in Ukraine and “return Crimea,” Spicer said at the White House briefing on Tuesday.

“Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine,” Haley said at the UN Security Council meeting on February 2.

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Syrian rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush to head rebel delegation at peace talks

Syrian rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush said on Monday he would head the rebel delegation to the peace talks backed by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhastan, saying this was to "neutralize the criminal role " of Iran in the Syrian conflict.

Alloush, a former senior negotiator with the Saudi-backed Higher Negotiations Committee during past rounds of U.N.- sponsored peace talks in Geneva, said their participation was needed to hold back Iran's militias fighting in Syria.

Syrian War: Rebels threaten to boycott peace talks - BBC

Syrian rebel groups say they are suspending participation in the preparations for peace talks planned by Russia and Turkey for later this month. A statement, signed by a number of groups, cited "many and large violations" of the ceasefire by the Syrian government as the reason.

Turkey and Russia brokered the ceasefire deal last Thursday, and it has mostly held since then.

The peace talks are due to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"The regime and its allies have continued firing and committed many and large violations," the statement issued on Monday said.

Ceasefire in Syria: Russian fighter jets eliminated 12 Daesh militants in airstrikes to Support Turkish Troops

After brokering a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups, Russia bolstered Turkish military operations in the fight against Daesh, with three airstrikes around al-Bab.

Euphrates Shield, a Turkish operation to defend its border from terrorists, received a notable boost from Moscow. Turkish military officials announced that Russian fighter jets eliminated 12 Daesh militants in airstrikes. 

The Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are tightening their grip on the Daesh-held city, FSA division commander Taha Atraç told Sputnik Turkey of the progress in the region. The Syrian commander expects al-Bab to be liberated "within the next few days."

BREAKING: A Syrian cease-fire backed by Russia and Turkey took effect at midnight Thursday

The promise for peace in Syria has been revived, after a nationwide ceasefire officially took effect on Friday at midnight, local time.

A major agreement between the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and armed opposition groups was reached on Thursday and supported by Russia, Iran and Turkey as guarantors of the peace process. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the news after emerging as a key peace broker.

Donald Trump, Brexit and Other Lessons From Conservative Parties’ Politics

Conservative parties, be they called the Tory Party, or Republican Party, or Likud Party, have for the most part of the early 20th century to present advocated policies that seemed unreasonable but the world continued to vote them into office. These policies are often presented to the public lased with patriotic cinnamon sugars. And the public has consumed them with passion.

At the formative stages of the European Union, the conservatives urged Britons not join as Labor and other progressive parties pushed for joining European Union. General Charles De Gaulle’s opposition to Britain’s membership did not help but it was mostly internal British debate that stopped Britain from joining until after ten years (1975), when a twotoone flavor was negotiated and referendum held. Even after joining, the Conservative Party was still lukewarm in the association. It was this attitude that led some conservatives to propose that a referendum be held to exit. The leadership of the Brexit was mostly Conservative Party membership although the conservative PM campaigned against the exit. And when he lost he resigned and the new PM has proclaimed, loud and clear, that Brexit means Brexit and no attempt would be made to renter through a back door.

Naira slumps 23 percent after currency peg ends

(Reuters) - Nigeria's naira slumped 23 percent against the U.S. dollar on Monday in tentative interbank trading after central bank removed its currency peg, Thomson Reuters data showed.

The naira traded just twice at 255 against the dollar, and less than $1 million had changed hands by 11:00 a.m. (1000 GMT), as dealers said they were nervous about foreign exchange liquidity under the new system.

Monday's rate was sharply weaker than the 197 peg the central bank had been maintaining for the past 16 months, then abandoned last week in a bid to alleviate chronic forex shortages.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says U.S. responsible for delay in Syrian settlement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that it is the United States and its allies, not Russia, that are responsible for the delay in seeking a peaceful settlement of the Syria crisis.

The top Russian diplomat, who while attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, made the remarks to refute a recent statement of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who said that Washington was losing patience with Russia and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who are "creating obstacles" to a solution in the war-torn country.

"It is not correct to demonstrate impatience referring to us," said Lavrov.

Euro 2016 wrap: Overnight Actions - France beats Albania, Switzerland draw Romania, Slovakia down Russia

LATE goals from Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet booked hosts France’s place in the last 16 of Euro 2016 after overcoming stiff resistance from European Championship debutants Albania.

Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann came off the bench in Marseille to head the opener in the 90th minute before West Ham United’s Payet strengthened his reputation by smashing home a second deep into stoppage time.

“We needed a win to qualify, and it’s done,” Griezmann told French television. “The coach had told me that I would be a substitute. I knew it and I wanted to do what I had to do once I got on.” Payet also struck a late winner as France opened the tournament with a nervy 2-1 win over Romania

Euro 2016 state of play: results, tables, schedule and TV times

THE FIRST round of the Euro 2016 group stages is over but the tournament is just heating up.

Each team still has two more matches to play before the two teams with the most points and the four best third-placed teams in each group progress to the Round of 16. That means a country could make the knockout stages after earning just three points in the group stage.

While the heavyweight nations and their world-class stars have produced moments of brilliance in the first round, will they replicate similar form in the matches to come?

To make sure you’re on top of each group’s results, table, next fixtures and TV times in AEST, here is your current state of play!

Marseille Violence: City 'Like A Battlefield'

Witnesses describe gangs looking for English fans to attack, with tear gas fired and bottles thrown as violence flares once more.

The scene in the French city of Marseille has been

described as being "like a battlefield", after England fans were attacked by a group of suspected Russian supporters.

French police have fired tear gas and used water cannon on fans on a third day of unrest in the lead up to the Three Lions' first game of Euro 2016.

International Diplomats Scramble to Re-establish Syria Truce

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with international diplomats in Geneva in an effort to end hostilities in Syria where government forces have pounded the rebel-held city of Aleppo for more than a week. The pressure is on Russia to use its influence over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence.

Doha seeks emergency Syria meeting as Aleppo bombardment continues

Doha has called for an emergency meeting of Arab League envoys to discuss the Syrian regime's deadly airstrikes on the war-torn city of Aleppo.

Qatar's permanent envoy at the Cairo-based pan-Arab body has requested holding "a meeting to discuss the dangerous escalation in the city of Aleppo and the Syrian regime forces' massacres against civilians" there, a Qatar News Agency statement said.

The request comes after Russia said it will not ask the Syrian regime it backs to halt air raids on Aleppo, which has been divided between regime control in the west and rebel control in the east since 2012.

War In Syria: Temporary partial truce comes into effect

A partial truce known as a "regime of calm" has come into effect in most parts of Syria apart from in the divided second city of Aleppo.

The truce announced by the Syrian army came into effect in two areas an hour after midnight local time on Friday.

A statement said it would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital.

The truce is also due to last for 72 hours in the northern countryside of Latakia province.

There has been no explanation as to why the halt in fighting is only temporary,

Turkish town hit by Syria rocket fire, 16 Died!

Ankara - Two rockets fired into Turkey from an area of Syria controlled by the Islamic State group (ISIS) hit the border town of Kilis on Sunday, leaving 16 people injured, media reports said.

One of the rockets hit the roof of a house in the Okcular neighbourhood while the other hit a backyard. Six of the wounded were Syrian.

Residents marched on the governor's office in Kilis in protest, only to be dispersed by police, the Hurriyet Daily said, adding that marches and protests had been banned for a month by the city's officials.

OPEC Unglued: Saudi Arabia Won’t Freeze Oil Growth Unless Iran Has To

No Iran, no deal

Oilfield

The much ballyhooed Doha, Qatar, meetings to freeze production among some OPEC and non-OPEC members, such as Russia, ended without agreement April 17.

The stumbling block: Saudi Arabia’s unwillingness to go forward on holding production steady without cooperation from Iran. After sanctions related to development of nuclear capabilities were lifted in January, Iran has been trying to ramp up volumes. The country's ability to sell oil on the global market had been hobbled since 2011.

By midday April 18, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) had fallen by about 3%. But Doha was a scene reminiscent of Lucy’s propping up a football in Charles Schulz’s famous "Peanuts" comic strip. WTI prices hit more than $42 per barrel April 13 before a more jaded Charlie Brown figured out who was propping up the market.

US Presidency: Donald Trump revealed as Russia's preferred choice

There is only one country which would like to see Donald Trump enter the White House - and it’s not the US.

According to a new survey from YouGov for the Handelsblatt Global Edition, Russia is the only major economy in the world that prefers the Republican, yellow-haired candidate over Hillary Clinton.

The survey polled more than 20,000 adults in every G20 country. The results show that Mr Trump leads by 21 points in Russia, while Ms Clinton claims more than 21 points over her rival in 15 other countries.

The same survey shows that 79 per cent of Russians are dissatisfied with their economic situation - only second to South Korea - yet 74 per cent of Russians vote for their president Vladimir Putin as the most trusted leader.

President Buhari's Foreign Trips - My Takeaway By Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

In making this public intervention, I seek to highlight the benefit of global relationships and cooperation in a world that is changing daily as a result of globalization and transborder economics, social and even criminal activities where no one is safe, except all are safe, and to leave the dispassionate observer his opinion after deep reflection on the value, or lack of it, of the President’s foreign trips.

This way I hope every Nigerian who cares about our country will have some information about what their President is doing about the things that concern them.

First I will start with context.