Síntesis informativa - 23 de octubre 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Turkey Halts Syrian Incursion, Hours After Deal with Russia
AKCAKALE, Turkey — The Turkish Army halted its incursion into a Kurdish-run area of northern Syria on Wednesday morning, after a deal between the Turkish and Russian governments promised that Kurdish fighters would retreat from the Turkish-Syrian border.
In a statement, the Turkish defense ministry said it would not advance beyond an area of roughly 900 square miles that Turkish-led forces have seized from Kurdish control since invading the area two weeks ago.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/world/middleeast/turkey-russia-syria.html
39 Found Dead in Truck in U.K., Prompting Murder Investigation
LONDON — The bodies of 39 people were discovered in a truck in an industrial park east of London early Wednesday, a scene that local police described as an “absolute tragedy.” But hours after the discovery, much about the case remained a mystery, including the identities of the victims, why they were inside and what led the vehicle to the spot where it was found.
The bodies were discovered in the vehicle at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, in the county of Essex, about 25 miles east of London, the Essex Police said in a statement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/world/europe/bodies-found-truck-uk.html
An Envoy’s Damning Account of Trump’s Ukraine Pressure and Its Consequences
WASHINGTON — He stood on one side of a war-damaged bridge in Ukraine staring across at Russian-backed forces and saw the real-world consequences of President Trump’s efforts to advance a personal agenda. “More Ukrainians,” he said, “would undoubtedly die.” Recalling that moment during explosive testimony on Tuesday, William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, laid out in visceral terms the stakes of what he saw as an illegitimate scheme to pressure the Kiev government for political help by suspending American security aid.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/us/politics/trump-ukraine-william-taylor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
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THE GUARDIAN
Trump launches lackluster attack against Bill Taylor after testimony
Unlike some of his aggressive and fiercely personal attacks on opponents, the US president appeared to be struggling early Wednesday in any attempt to discredit the explosive account given by Taylor – a career diplomat who discussed his role in detail with secretary of state Mike Pompeo earlier this year before accepting the post of acting ambassador to Ukraine.
Trump resorted to quoting, on Twitter, the Texas Republican congressman John Ratcliffe, who claimed on Fox News that Ukraine had not been aware that Trump was holding back congressionally-approved military aid for the country when he requested an investigation into Joe Biden.
US envoy says Trump used military aid to push Ukraine to investigate Biden
The veteran diplomat said that soon after arriving in Kyiv, he became concerned “our relationship with Ukraine was being fundamentally undermined by an irregular informal channel of US policymaking, and by the withholding of vital security assistance for domestic political reasons”.
Taylor said this irregular channel was run by Trump through several emissaries: the president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, the departing energy secretary, Rick Perry, the ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, and the special Ukraine envoy, Kurt Volker
Turkey and Russia agree on deal over buffer zone in northern Syria
The two leaders were locked in marathon talks for more than six hours in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, emerging just two hours before a five-day ceasefire brokered by the US expired at 10pm local time.
Erdoğan hailed the deal as “a historic agreement” while addressing reporters alongside Putin.
“According to this agreement, Turkey and Russia will not allow any separatist agenda on Syrian territory,” he said.
The deal was widely perceived as good news for Ankara and a poor result for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), building as it does on the US’ agreement last week that Turkey has a right to a buffer zone on its border at their expense. Most of all, it cements Moscow’s new role as prime powerbroker in the Middle East as US influence in the region wanes.
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XINHUA
U.S. Senate approves North Macedonia to NATO
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved North Macedonia's accession to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Senators voted 91 to 2 to ratify North Macedonia as the alliance's 30th member state. According to U.S. media, the two "no" votes came from Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah. Several Democrats running for president were absent for the vote.
The former Yugoslav republic has sought the NATO membership for long, but Greece blocked its effort over the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, fearing that the name indicates territorial ambitions over the northern Greek province of Macedonia.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/23/c_138494492.htm
Pompeo, Japanese FM hold phone talks over Iran
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi over Iran.
Pompeo and his Japanese counterpart discussed coordination on Iran, a state department spokesperson said in a statement, without providing more details. The statement said the two pledged to continue to work closely across a broad agenda of regional and global security issues.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/23/c_138494520.htm
Latvia appoints representatives to China-Latvia panel for sci-tech cooperation
RIGA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian government on Tuesday appointed its members to the China-Latvia Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, the governmental office said.
The intergovernmental committee is set up according to a bilateral agreement reached in September 2018 to strengthen cooperation in science and technology as well as in related research between the two countries.Dmitrijs Stepanovs, undersecretary and director of the higher education, science and innovation department of the Education and Science Ministry, will be the head of the Latvian group.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/23/c_138496573.htm
