DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Syria: Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani hold talks as opposition gathers in Saudi Arabia The Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders are meeting to chart military and political strategy in Syria. It comes as the divided Syrian opposition meets in Riyadh to bridge differences ahead of UN-backed peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with the leaders of Iran and Turkey on Wednesday, as regional powers move to find an elusive diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria as the war against the "Islamic State" (IS) and rebels winds down. The meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea city of Sochi brings together opposing sides of the conflict ahead of UN-backed peace talks in Geneva later this month. Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrian opposition, while Iranian and Russian support for the Syrian President Bashar Assad have turned the tide in the six year civil war in favor of the regime.
Closed borders boost people smuggling across Balkans Refugees continue to cross the Balkan route into Europe that the EU-Turkey deal was meant to cut off. Smugglers show the way. Marianna Karakoulaki and Dimitris Tosidis report from Chios, Thessaloniki, Belgrade and Sid. When Mohammed, 27 — not his real name — arrived in Greece, he knew it would not be too easy for him to reach Europe; yet he was hopeful that once he arrived on the Greek mainland his European dream would come closer. This is what hissmugglers in Turkeyhad promised him. The reality, however, was very different. We met Mohammed in Chios during the summer and kept in contact with him. By September he had finally arrived in Athens. Mohammed — a Bedouin from Kuwait is neither a citizen nor a migrant; he is considered stateless.
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EU offers Eastern Partnership members money, motivation On the agenda: reforms and closer economic ties
The EU has invited representatives from six post-Soviet states to take part in its fifth annual Eastern Partnership summit. Although sheʼs only acting German chancellor, Angela Merkel will be in attendance at Fridayʼs EU summit with the six Eastern Partnership countries. "This is a very important signal," said Johannes Hahn, the EUʼs commissioner for enlargement. "Germany is an important partner. The chancellorʼs participation shows great respect for the partnership with the eastern countries." Merkel skipped the most recent EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden last week because she was busy with coalition negotiations. This time, 22 of the 28 EU leaders will be in attendance, along with representatives from Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Belarus. "The door to the EU remains open for these countries," said Hahn. "But now, the focus is on implementing what has, until now, mainly existed on paper." By that, Hahn is referring to 20 economic, energy, infrastructure and state administration projects that must be implemented by 2020. The European Union has, for the most part, reacted coolly to demands
made by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to make more concrete efforts toward EU membership. "These states are still a long way from accession," said Rebecca Harms, a German MEP with the European Green Party. In any case, the EU isnʼt in the position to be welcoming new members right now, she added, though the door should be left open. "We cannot only demand reforms, we must also support them," said Harms, who deals with the Eastern Partnership. "Commitment — not just money — is important." After all, Ukraine showed it was able to establish an anticorruption court and even appoint a special public prosecutor "when Europe got involved." In Moldova, on the other hand, the pressure to reform has also had negative effects. The people had the impression that they were worse off on the EU track, rather than better. Severe cases of corruption and misappropriation of funds clouded their view. "This led to the election of a euroskeptic president in Moldova — not a good sign," said Harms.
North Korea defection: Video shows soldier make daring border escape The UN Command has released a video showing the dramatic scenes at the border as a North Korean soldier defected. As they tried to stop him, the soldierʼs colleagues may have violated the terms of the Korean War truce. The North Korean army violated the terms of the 1953 UN Armistice Agreement when it tried to stop one of itssoldiers defecting to the South, the United Nations Command said Wednesday. Soldiers fired about 40 rounds across the military demarcation line that divides the two Koreas, with one soldier even crossing the line, Colonel Chad G. Carroll, a spokesman for the UN Command, told reporters. The UNC has "requested a meeting (with North Korea) to discuss our investigation and measures to prevent future such violations," Carroll said.
Pakistanʼs ʼlast Jewʼ Fishel Benkhald complains of anti-Semitism Fishel Benkhald tells DW he has faced immense social discrimination in Pakistan following his registration of Jewish faith, but he will continue to raise voice for the rights of religious minorities in the country. Dubbed "Pakistanʼs last Jew," Fishel Benkhald, a resident of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, was originally registered as a Muslim and was named Faisal Khalid. After several months of bureaucratic struggle and paperwork, he was finally recognized by the Islamic countryʼs authorities as a Jew in March this year.
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