What's next for talks between the U.S. and Russia? - PBS NewsHour (blog) | Russia sends fighter jets into Syria - Sky News Australia
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What's next for talks between the U.S. and Russia? - PBS NewsHour (blog)
 Российская Газета |
Обама выдвинул на пост главы армии США открытого гея
РБК Президент США Барак Обама выдвинул на пост главы армии США специалиста по вопросам национальной безопасности Эрика Фаннинга, пишет The Washington Post. Таким образом, впервые американскую армию может возглавить открытый гей, отмечает издание. 47-летний Фаннинг ... На пост министра армии Обама выдвинул открытого геяИА REGNUM СМИ: Гомосексуалист может стать министром обороны СШАРоссийская Газета Обама выдвинул открытого гомосексуалиста на пост на пост министра Армии СШААргументы и факты Lenta.ru -Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ -НТВ.ru Все похожие статьи: 59 » |
Sky News Australia |
Russia sends fighter jets into Syria
Sky News Australia US officials claim Russia has sent at least four fighter jets to Syria as it continues to bolster the embattled forces of Bashar al Assad. Moscow had already sent troops and military hardware, including helicopter gunships, tanks and as many 500 ... Russia 'Sends Jets To Syria' As Talks HeldSky News Russia and America start talking again to avoid shooting each other in Syriaeuronews all 6 news articles » |
 euronews |
Russia and America start talking again to avoid shooting each other in Syria
euronews There is no let-up in airstrikes by the Syrian government against rebel-held areas, with at least 80 civilian and rebel deaths in the last 48 hours in Aleppo and Palmyra. But as the killing continues a new chapter may be about to open with the news ... and more » |
Putin Convinced That Whatever He Does, Obama Won’t Respond Militarily, Borovoy Saysby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, September 19 – Vladimir Putin is acting in Syria as he has in Ukraine on the basis of his conviction that no matter what Russia does, Barack Obama will not respond militarily and that as a result, Moscow has every incentive to raise the stakes in order to force negotiations and gain even more concessions from the West, according to Konstantin Borovoy.
Arguing that “a war between the US and Russia has begun” but that Putin believes he can win it without a direct military confrontation with the US, the head of the Western Choice Party says that the Kremlin leader has concluded “there is now no president in the US but instead a Nobel Peace Prize laureate” (newsader.com/mention/voyna-mezhdu-ssha-i-rossiey-nachalas/).
According to Borovoy, Putin has sent troops into Syria just as he has in Ukraine “not for the conduct of war but for its declaration, as a provocation and showing of the flag. Putin needs a casus belli but not a war” as such. And he believes that will work on the basis of his conclusion that the US is weak, something Russian intelligence agencies and lobbyists assure him is true.
The latest indication of what Putin is successfully trying to achieve, the Russian commentator continues, are the talks between the defense ministers of the US and Russia, a “pathetic” effort by the US to avoid having to acknowledge that Russia has entered the Syrian conflict against the US and the West.
“To conclude ‘agreements’ at the level of defense ministers with someone who does not observe internationally signed and ratified agreements shows naivete,” he says, because Putin will violate this “at the first opportunity” and then blame the US for the violations. And he will sacrifice Russian lives to that end as he has in the past.
“Putin’s real goal is not war but the creation of such pre-war tension that he US will be forced to enter into broadscale negotiations. The current [US] president will do everything possible in this situation not to begin military actions” and thus “will agree to talks in any format” and will be ready “in advance” to make concessions to Putin.
Putin’s demands in this situation are obvious, Borovoy says. They are “Crimea is ours, Syria is ours, Iran is ours, end all sanctions, provide financial assistance to Russia and respect the interests of Russia in the world.” And the Kremlin leader wants to be able to make those at a meeting with Obama and other world leaders.
In this situation, the West doesn’t have a large number of options, the Russian commentator says. It can face a long period of Russian provocations and apparent pullbacks, but it will not do anything but lose slowly because Putin believes he can act with impunity and so will continue to do so.
That will be a black day for the West, but on the other hand, Borovoy says, it will “justify” Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Meanwhile, Putin will force Russians to tighten their belts, but he will succeed in convincing them that their problems have not been caused by him but by “the military provocateur Obama” and thus they will not only accept the situation but support Putin in his further aggression.
In reality, he continues, Obama has only “a single way out – supplying arms to Ukraine, and not just defensive ones but those that will allow Ukraine to attack. Russia’s armed forces in fact are not prepared for a real military conflict.” At present, however, Putin is certain that Obama won’t do that.
There remains “only one question: what in fact ought the American president to do in this situation?” Borovoy suggests two steps: “giving a military response to Putin in Syria and Ukraine, immediately, rapidly and very effectively,” and “taking up the problems of the c special services having freed them from the influence of the network of Putin’s agents.”
Unfortunately, the Russian commentator implies, there does not seem to be much chance of either.
Read the whole story
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Putin Likely to Move in Central Asia Next, Ukrainian Commentator Says by paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, September 19 – The focus of the international media has shifted from Ukraine to Syria, just as Vladimir Putin hoped because the West seems incapable of focusing on more than one issue at a time, Oleg Shro says. But in doing so, the media are failing to note that the Kremlin leader is ready to attack on many fronts to overload the capacity of the West to respond.
Because of that, the Ukrainian analyst says, Western leaders must consider where Putin might move next in order to block him or at least be prepared to respond. If they do, he says, they will be forced to conclude that Central Asia and especially Uzbekistan is high on Putin’s list (nr2.com.ua/News/world_and_russia/Rossiya-nakanune-novogo-pohoda-v-Turkestan-106486.html).
Putin’s readiness to “conduct military actions on two or three fronts and perhaps even more” at one time, Shro says, is explained not by the weakness of his opponents but rather by the fact that his current opponents “do not consider [Moscow] such a serious threat that they must react to it with serious efforts.”
There are three reasons for this dangerous situation, he suggests. First, Russia still has “’the aura’” of a country that until recently was “a reliable and predictable partner of both Europe and the US” and thus can count on Western leaders to hope and believe that it can be returned to the fold.
Second, Putin is very aware that whatever problems the Russian economy now faces, it has “a simply colossal” resource base, “especially in comparison with its nearest neighbors,” and thus is in a position to act from a position of strength against those neighbors, particularly if the West doesn’t want to oppose him actively.
And third, Putin’s efforts to restore Moscow’s primacy over the former Soviet space reflect his desire to create a “buffer zone” for himself and his country, one where the values he is promoting at home will bleed over into the neighbors and thus help to keep out the influence of other countries and especially those of the West.
What the Kremlin leader is engaged in then, he suggests, is the organization of a criminal world against the world of law and order. That is stark but it is true: “Russia is not capable of offering the contemporary world an alternative civilizational project.” The only thing it can offer is a Donbas “at the planetary level, the realization of an anti-utopia in the style of Mad Max.”
“If Russia were capable of offering an alternative civilizational project, even a variation on the currently existing one, everything would look different,” Shro continues. “This would be a different work, and the actions of Russia would not recall the actions of powers in the 18th or 19th centuries.” But that is not the case, and the world must eventually recognize this.
Any discussion of “geopolitical buffers around Russia” must include not only Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics and the Caucasus, but also Central Asia, especially since in recent years, Moscow’s influence in that region has fallen sharply relative to that of China and the United States.
In Central Asia, Shro continues, “the chief and central player is Uzbekistan,” which has played an independent role over the last 15 years because it is both politically and economically the core of the region. Ruled since 1988 by the same leader, Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan had been moving away from Russia.
But “now one can see a reverse process which is connected above all with the cooling of relations with the US and the introduction of a sanctions regime against the leadership of Uzbekistan and even members of Karimov’s family” because of Tashkent’s poor record with regard to human rights.
“In general,” Shro argues, Uzbekistan resembles today’s Russia given its repression at home and problems abroad. And “these circumstances are pushing Uzbekistan into Russia’ embrace, because even China is unwilling to get involved with a country” with so many problems, including water disputes with its neighbors.
Moscow clearly hopes that Tashkent will recognize that its best prospects for the future lie with Russia. “On the one hand, Uzbekistan like Russia, has border conflicts with practically all its neighbors.” And on the other, Uzbekistan is a choke point for the other Central Asian countries because it is through Uzbekistan that most transportation routes pass.
Thus, attracting Uzbekistan to its side is one of Moscow’s major strategic goals because it would allow Russia to reduce or even exclude the influence of China and the US in central Asia, Shro says. The only question now is how that such a shift will happen, by peaceful means or otherwise.
“If [Uzbekistan] makes concessions to Russia, then this will look like peaceful expansion,” but that may not happen given Karimov’s independent streak. And thus it is completely possible that there will be a conflict orchestrated by Moscow to bring Tashkent to heel.
Among the levers Moscow could use would be the financing of local Islamists who have shown themselves to be quite prepared to fight with the Uzbek authorities. Such an approach may be especially likely now given Ukraine and Syria and all the talk about the ISIS threat to Central Asia from Afghanistan.
And consequently, there is another Moscow lever that should not be ignored: the exacerbation of border conflicts in the region followed by Russia’s offer of playing the role of “peacemaker” there. Should that happen, Shro concludes, it would constitute “a new Turkestan campaign” by Moscow.
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 BBC Russian |
Глава Коми обвинен в организации преступного сообщества
BBC Russian Следственный комитет России сообщил о возбуждении уголовного дела в отношении главы Республики Коми Вячеслава Гайзера по подозрению в мошенничестве и организации преступного сообщества. По сведениям агентства ТАСС, Вячеслав Гайзер арестован и, скорее всего, будет ... Республика КомиРИА Новости Членство главы Коми Вячеслава Гайзера в «Единой России» будет приостановленоКоммерсантъ Заподозренного в мошенничестве главу Коми, члена высшего политсовета "ЕР" Гайзера ждет этапирование в МосквуРосбалт.RU РБК -Газета.Ru -BFM.Ru Все похожие статьи: 201 » |
 DefenseNews.com |
Work Urges 'Strong and Balanced' Approach to Resurgent Russia
DefenseNews.com LONDON — Russia's provocative actions have many western countries on edge, few more so than the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. To sound out those nations, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work traveled earlier ... The Pentagon Is Preparing New War Plans for a Baltic Battle …Foreign Policy (blog) all 7 news articles » |
Ethnic Russians in the North Drink the Most; Muslims in the Caucasus Drink the Least by paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, September 19 – A survey by “Komsomolskaya Pravda” confirms what most people have long believed: ethnic Russians in the northern portions of the Russian Federation drink the most, while members of the traditionally Muslim nationalities in the Caucasus drink the least, a pattern with profound consequences for their respective well-being and live expectancies.
But as dramatic as the differences the paper found, experts say, they understate the differences in consumption of pure alcohol because northerners tend to drink vodka and southerners wine, because they ignore illegal sources of alcohol which are usually stronger, and because officials committed to one or another alcohol policy misstate local numbers.
Nonetheless, the Moscow paper’s figures, compiled by dividing the total volume of all alcohol sales by region by the population of the regions are instructive, even though there was no data available at all on alcohol consumption for Chechnya and Ingushetia, two North Caucasus republics (kp.ru/daily/26395.3/3271439/).
The top five regions in terms of alcohol beverage consumption were Magadan, Kamchatka, Arkhangelsk, Karelia and Leningrad, all in the north and all predominantly ethnic Russian in population. The bottom five were Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Osetia, Adygeya and Orenburg, all but the last predominantly Muslim.
In terms of volume, the former consumed from five to 15 times more alcoholic beverages than the latter, the paper found. And it pointed out that because the northern Russians mostly drank vodka and the Caucasians who drink at all wine, the difference in consumption of pure alcohol was “much more serious.”Appended to the “Komsomolskaya Pravda” report is a comment by Vadim Drobiz, head of the Moscow Cexnter for the Investigation of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets. He argues that some of the paper’s findings were entirely plausible: in Magadan people really do drink more than elsewhere. But other figures were problems.
Rosstat says and the paper uses that agency’s numbers that in recent years, alcohol consumption has fallen in St. Petersburg, But Drobiz says “I do not believe this.” All the figures from the northern capital mean is that more people there are drinking moonshine and other unregulated alcohol.
With respect to wine consumption, he says, the official figures are even more unreliable. They suggest that people in Krasnodar kray drink only half as much as those in Karelia. “How can this be?” he asks rhetorically. The answer, he suggests, lies in the decision of officials ot put out numbers confirming their faith that “if prices go up, people will cease to drink.”
No, he says, they will simply turn to moonshine and even more dangerous surrogates, something that makes the Russian-Muslim divide even more troubling given the impact those have on live expectancies.
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· ·
 Fox News |
Russia's Vladimir Putin moves to establish Russian military air base in ...
Fox News Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, second left, and Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, visit the Sirius college for gifted children in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Friday, Sept. 18 ... Putin Instructs Ministers to Ink Deal to Establish Air Base in BelarusSputnik International all 106 news articles » |
 RT |
Pentagon updates plans for war with 'potentially aggressive' Russia – media
RT “Given the security environment, given the actions of Russia, it has become apparent that we need to make sure to update the plans that we have in response to any potential aggression against any NATO allies,” a senior defense official familiar with ... The Pentagon Is Preparing New War Plans for a Baltic Battle …Foreign Policy (blog) all 15 news articles » |
 Yahoo News |
Kerry: Russian fighter jets in Syria raise serious questions
Yahoo News LONDON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday that Russia's movement of tactical aircraft and surface-to-air missiles to Syria could pose a threat to American and allied forces, and made clear that the U.S. could accept a resolution ... and more » |
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 CNN |
US concerned about Russian jets in Syria
CNN Four Russian Sukhoi "Flanker" jets arrived Friday in Syria, according to a U.S. official. It's unclear how the aircraft will be used, but Russia has said its military buildup in Syria is to support Bashar al-Assad's regime and combat ISIS. Before that ... Russian Buildup in Syria Raises Questions on RoleNew York Times Russian missiles raise questions over Syria plansFinancial Times US begins military talks with Russia on Syria CNBC Deutsche Welle- The Guardian-BBC News all 1,888 news articles » |
At the frontier of another sealed border of the European Union, all was quiet, save for some crickets chirping, riot police wearily scraping their shields on the asphalt, and the light snoring of refugees sleeping on the bridge.
Thousands Flood Into Austria as Migrants Are Bounced Around Europe by SEWELL CHAN and PALKO KARASZ
Thousands of migrants poured into Austria on Saturday after being bounced around the Balkans, as Hungary grudgingly allowed at least 11,000 to enter from Croatia.
Refugees on the Move: In Europe, Uncertainty Aheadby webdesk@voanews.com (Heather Murdock)
"Don’t speak Arabic in front of the police,” Maged quickly whispered to me in Arabic, before I could ask whether he wanted milk in his coffee. "Do you want sugar?" I asked him in English, a little too loud to be natural. We were at the bus station in Dortmond, Germany, and Maged was leaving his group of friends to follow his dream in Sweden. It was the first time since the young Syrian men set off from Turkey to Europe that I had heard him admit being afraid. He was breaking a rule by choosing to apply for asylum in Sweden. But with hundreds of thousands of desperate travelers from the Middle East and Africa pouring into Europe, that regulation had already been broken so many times, no one knows what the laws are anymore. Technically, refugees in the European Union are supposed to register in the first country they land in. But thousands of people are jumping off rubber rafts on the Greek islands, often stabbing the boat on the beach so they can’t be forced to go back. The Greek government appears to have washed its hands of the problem, and refugees who can afford it move swiftly through the country to the Macedonian border. Maged and his friends took a commercial boat to Athens after they landed with thousands of other refugees. All of them were met by buses that whisked them to the border for a little over $50 each. There was no opportunity to apply for asylum in Greece. As Maged waited for his 4 a.m. train to Sweden, he was anxious to ensure that no one noticed he was a refugee. We had just left his friends at a refugee registration center in Germany, and he didn’t want to go back. “The police here are not good,” he whispered, eyeing the security guards strolling by, ignoring the falling-down drunks in the station hall. “Arabic is dangerous.” Registration center “We want to register,” said Modar, Maged’s brother, a few hours earlier at the refugee registration center. He and two other young men had decided to trust their fate to Germany. “Go outside and the bus will take you to Dusseldorf,” the man told Modar, and they trudged outside into a misty parking lot. Omar, an aspiring college student and the youngest in the group, was excited. “Dusseldorf is beautiful,” he said. A German man was calling out names and loading people one by one onto the bus. Modar joined the scrum and asked how to get on the list. He was told to fill out papers. He went inside to get the papers, where they told him there were no papers. Finally, the dispatcher told him the truth. “Just wait here,” he said. As the sun fell, the weather turned colder and it began to rain. Many of them had just survived a long, bitter heat wave in the Middle East, and the sudden chilly weather was biting. There were also refugees from Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and other places. For the first time since the five friends set out, they found Syrians to be in the minority among refugees on their trail. The longer we waited, the more drawn the men’s faces became. Even if they got onto a bus, would it take them someplace safe? “There are not many Syrians,” said Ahmed, looking around. "We can only talk to each other." Destinations Maged and I left the others at the registration center, waiting out in the cold. A few hours later, Modar appeared again online, messaging “Here!” to their Whatsapp group, and photos of what looked like a warehouse, with rows of black cots cordoned off by white dividers. In one photo, Omar sat on the floor, leaning on a cot and looking bored as he played with his smartphone. “It’s okay,” Modar messaged, when his brother texted his concern. “We are eating in a camp.” Meged promptly relaxed, and fell asleep where he was sitting. Lonely in a new land The next day, I visited the camp, with Meged still en route to Sweden. Following a Google map to Modar’s location, I walked right through the gate, before being stopped by security. “You can’t go there, it’s forbidden,” a young security officer said in English. I’m sure he noticed that I was alarmed. After hearing stories for weeks about refugees being locked inside camps, where had this group ended up? A few minutes later, Modar, Omar and Ahmed sauntered out of the gates. They were going to look for a gym. Ahmed, 23, had played soccer in Syria and was going to try to get on a team in Germany. “This place is good,” said all three men at different times, describing plentiful food, large, clean spaces and slow but working Internet service. But for all of the friends, their relative physical comfort opened up emotional space to feel their losses. The group had become fiercely loyal on the road, keeping each other safe. They had left their families, friends and all their possessions in Syria and had replaced what they lost with each other. And although they never planned to stick together once they got to Germany, they weren't prepared to give up that security. With only three left together, all with different dreams, they each faced an immediate future as a lone refugee in a giant mass of people, competing for resources, legal status and jobs. “We are friends,” said Modar sadly. “But that doesn’t mean I will always have friends.”
Read the whole story
· · · ·
 PBS NewsHour (blog) |
What's next for talks between the U.S. and Russia?
PBS NewsHour (blog) The United States is calling on Russia to discuss a political settlement to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. and Russian defense secretaries have started talking also in order to avoid a direct conflict between American and Russian forces. New York Times ... and more » |
 Daily Mail |
Russia returns to Cold War tactics to portray foreign nationals as security ...
Daily Mail For five years after he quit, he was barred from leaving Russia or taking certain security jobs because of the sensitive nature of the work. But when that period was up he sent a cover letter to a Swedish company he found online. Nothing ever came of it. Russians with Western ties increasingly branded 'traitors'U.S. News & World Report all 58 news articles » |
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Russian Governor Arrested On Corruption Chargesby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL's Russian Service)
The governor of Russia's northwestern Komi region has been arrested on charges of fraud and heading a criminal gang.
 U.S. News & World Report |
Russia Governor Arrested For Corruption
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty The governor of Russia's northwestern Komi region has been arrested on charges of fraud and heading a criminal gang. Police arrested Governor Vyacheslav Gaizer and 18 other people on September 19. Vladimir Markin, spokesman for the Investigative ... Russian governor arrested in high-profile corruption caseU.S. News & World Report Russian governor, 18 other officials arrested in corruption caseGlobalnews.ca all 29 news articles » |
NEWS.com.au |
US warns Russian combat jets in Syria pose 'potential threat' to allied ...
NEWS.com.au Russia says its recent military build-up in Syria is designed to fight the Islamic State group and fulfil its obligations under its alliance with Syria. While IS lacks an air force, the Russian aircraft are capable of striking ground targets and ... Russia and America start talking again to avoid shooting each other in Syriaeuronews all 26 news articles » |
 РБК |
Немецкие СМИ сообщили о тайном визите делегации ЦРУ в Москву
РБК США активизировали сотрудничество с Россией в борьбе с террористами в Сирии, пишет немецкое издание Bild am Sonntag. Контакты начались на уровне разведывательных служб. Ситуация в Сирии. Фото: REUTERS 2015. В этом сюжете. Юристы сообщили об угрозах отказавшимся ... США намерены поддержать Россию в борьбе с ИГ в СирииКоммерсантъ Глава МИД ФРГ приветствует готовность России и США к диалогу по СирииРИА Новости СМИ: США намерены помогать России в борьбе с ИГ в СирииВзгляд Комсомольская правда -НТВ.ru -Русская планета Все похожие статьи: 62 » |
 РБК |
Симферополь заявил о готовности к продуктовой блокаде со стороны Украины
РБК Крымские власти заявили о готовности к продуктовой блокаде на сухопутной границе с Украиной, начало которой назначено на 20 сентября. Инициаторами акции стали депутаты Верховной рады Рефат Чубаров и Мустафа Джемилев. Фото: РИА Новости. Первый вице-премьер ... В Крыму активисты пикетируют дом одного из инициаторов продовольственной блокады Крыма Мустафы ДжемилеваКоммерсантъ Шеремет: Крым готов к беспорядкам на границе с Украиной из-за блокадыРИА Новости Крым готов к продовольственной блокаде УкраиныГазета.Ru Аргументы и факты -KM.RU -Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ Все похожие статьи: 103 » |
If One Russian Governor Led a Criminal Conspiracy, Then What about All the Others and Putin Too?by paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, September 20 – When Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin in 1956, stories circulated that someone in the audience of the 20th CPSU Congress shouted “where were you when all this was going on?” and that many were asking themselves whether the charges against Stalin did not raise questions about the entire Soviet leadership.
Something similar appears to be going on now with the findings that Vyachesav Gayzer, now former head of the Komi Republic, not only was guilty of extortion and other crimes but headed a veritable criminal conspiracy and had been doing so for the last nine years. If that is so, who else may be getting away with such crimes? And what does that say about the Putin system?
That such questions are beginning to arise in Russia is suggested by the comments today of Anatoly Baranov, the editor of the communist Forum-MSK.org internet portal (forum-msk.org/material/news/10997228.html).
This latest scandal, he says, only serves as confirmation of what he for the last 15 years has been deeply convinced is the case: “that the very same thing is going on in any oblast or republic administration and at all lower levels as well.” Finally, one of those involved has been arrested, but what’s next?
Having said “A,” Baranov continues, “it is necessary to say ‘B’” and investigate “all the administrations of the subjects of the federation and of the federal government as well.” But if that happens, “who will Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] have left?”
Obviously, many senior officials are worried because they know that there is an enormous amount of compromising materials about them out there, some of it published, some of it not. And now they have to worry that this could lead to the kind of criminal charges which would take not only their positions but all their ill-gotten gains away from them.
Baranov says he just saw a French play in which French tax inspectors were investigating the incomes of wealthy citizens, something “absolutely unthinkable” in Russia. Were such investigations to start, how would officials explain their villas and the other attributes of their wealth?
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Austria Prepares for Thousands More Migrantsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Austria said 11,000 migrants crossed into the country from Hungary in the 24-hour period that ended at midnight Saturday, while Austria's interior ministry said another 7,000 migrants are expected Sunday at the main Nickelsdorf crossing, east of Vienna. Most of the migrants had made the grueling journey across the Balkans into western Europe, with Croatia saying 21,000 had entered its territory in the past four days. Hungarian and Serbian interior ministers jointly reopened the Horgos-Roszke 1 crossing, which had been closed since last Monday, which led thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa to try to find other routes to western and northern Europe, where most want to start a new life. Most flooded into Croatia, which within days announced that it could not cope with the flow and began to redirect the migrants back toward Hungary or toward Slovenia. Meanwhile, Austrian ministry officials were meeting with charity organizations Sunday to try to find temporary shelter for the new arrivals, many coming from countries unable or unwilling to cope with a desperate human tide fleeing war and poverty. Razor-wire border fence After lashing out against Croatian officials, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is now trading barbs with his Romanian counterpart over a razor-wire border fence that Hungary is building between the two countries to keep out migrants. Hungary's erection of fences is deeply straining its ties with neighboring countries, who feel the problem of the huge flow of migrants is being unfairly pushed onto them. After completing a fence along the border with Serbia, Hungary is now building fences along its borders with Croatia and Romania. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Saturday called the border closure an "autistic and unacceptable act" that violated the spirit of the European Union. On Sunday, Szijjarto said, "We would expect more modesty from a foreign minister whose prime minister is currently facing trial." That was a reference to corruption charges filed recently against Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta. Szijjarto added: "We are a state that is more than 1,000 years old that throughout its history has had to defend not only itself, but Europe as well many times. That's the way it's going to be now, whether the Romanian foreign minister likes it or not." In Germany, police are investigating an asylum-seeker on suspicion that he fought for the Islamic State group in Syria, newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported Sunday. The suspect is a Syrian national and lives in an asylum-seeker shelter in the northeast region of Brandenburg, the newspaper reported, quoting security sources. Alleged accusations The man was secretly filmed with a mobile telephone, allegedly telling other migrants in the center that he had fought for the Islamic State group and killed people. The video led to the probe. Investigators are now trying to determine if the Syrian was indeed a member of the Islami State group, the newspaper reported. A spokeswoman for federal police declined to confirm or deny the report. Despite the case, federal police do not believe that Islamists are infiltrating Germany through the influx of refugees. Elsewhere, thousands of migrants arrived Sunday morning in the Macedonian village of Gevgelija, on their way to Serbia. They made their way to a temporary camp near the railway station, and some were able to board a train to take them onwards in their journey with the end goal of western Europe. The bulk of the migrants are fleeing the war in Syria, with the European Union receiving almost a quarter of a million asylum requests in the three months to June. Germany alone expects up to 1 million asylum-seekers this year, but Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the European Union should in the future take a finite number of migrants, while sending the rest back to a safe country in their home regions. Rift among EU members The continent's biggest migratory flow since the end of World War II has dug a deep rift between western and eastern EU members over how to distribute the migrants. The crisis has raised questions over the fate of the Schengen agreement allowing borderless travel across most countries within the 28-nation bloc, with several of them imposing border controls. Meanwhile, 26 migrants were feared missing Sunday off the Greek island of Lesbos, one of the Greek islands that has seen a heavy influx of refugees from war-torn Syria via Turkey. More than 2,600 people have died among the nearly half a million who have braved perilous trips across the Mediterranean to reach Europe so far this year. Altogether, Greece has seen more than 300,000 refugees and migrants enter the country this year, most of them passing through to other European countries. EU interior ministers are to meet again on Tuesday, followed by an emergency summit on Wednesday. Material for this report came from AFP, Reuters and AP.
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Thousands of more refugees have poured into Austria aboard crowded buses and trains.
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Patron Saint Of Russian Journalism Despairs To Watch Putin's Television by support@pangea-cms.com (Roman Super)
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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Seventy five Syrian rebels trained by the United States and its allies to fight Islamic State have entered northern Syria since Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday.
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, said the rebels had crossed into Syria from Turkey with 12 vehicles equipped with machine guns.
A top U.S. general told Congress on Wednesday that only four or five Syrian rebels trained under the program aimed at fighting Islamic State were still fighting in Syria.
The U.S. military began training in May for up to 5,400 fighters a year, in what was seen as a test of President Barack Obama's strategy of having local partners combat Islamic State militants and keep U.S. troops off the front lines.
(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Potter)
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