Syria constitutional panel launched amid scepticism
Syria’s Constitutional Committee, composed of government and opposition members, met for the first time on Wednesday in the first step on what the United Nations says will be a long road to political reconciliation.
South Sudan’s Machar urges delay to unity government as peace efforts stall
(The Oct 30 story amends analyst comment in 8th paragraph from “after the missed deadline” to “November 12”)
Turkey says ‘largely’ reached agreement with Russia in Syria talks
Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have “largely” reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Turkey says YPG withdrawal not complete; joint Russian patrols start Friday
Kurdish YPG militia had not completed its withdrawal to at least 30 km away from the Turkish border in northeast Syria, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday despite assurances from Russia that they had left.
British PM Johnson gambles on an election to decide the fate of Brexit
The fate of Britain’s departure from the European Union could be decided in a Dec. 12 election after Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally won parliamentary approval for a gamble that he hopes will break the deadlock over Brexit.
Turkish parliament to respond U.S. House votes: Erdogan says
Turkey’s parliament will respond to U.S. resolutions recognizing the mass killings of Armenians as genocide and calling for sanctions against Turkey over its military operation in Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Hong Kong protesters target party district on potentially hazardous Halloween
Thousands of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, many of whom still wear now-banned face-masks, plan to combine with fancy-dress clubbers on Thursday in the party district of Lan Kwai Fong on a potentially dangerous and rowdy Halloween.
Explainer: India’s Kashmir region set to lose autonomy, divided
India’s government will formally break up Jammu and Kashmir state into two federal territories on Thursday, as part of a sweeping move to tighten its grip over the restive region that is at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility with Pakistan.
Divide and conquer: British PM Johnson launches high-risk election strategy
The phoney war is over. After months of rehearsing his election strategy, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is poised to run a high-risk campaign designed to exploit divisions over Brexit despite his public appeals for national unity.
Combustible cladding on London’s Grenfell Tower key to deadly fire: inquiry
Combustible materials used to refurbish London’s Grenfell Tower were central to the catastrophic chain of events in June 2017 that turned an ordinary kitchen fire into an inferno that killed 71 people, an official inquiry said on Wednesday.
