Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on Wednesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which were expected to focus on war-torn Syria.
It was the first in-person meeting for Mr Putin in more than two weeks. On September 14, the Russian president went into self-isolation after a staff member he worked closely with contracted coronavirus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Mr Putin’s two-week self-isolation ended on Wednesday.
As the two leaders sat down for talks, Mr Putin said relations between the two countries continued to “develop positively”.
“Negotiations are sometimes difficult, but with a positive final result. Our [government] bodies have learnt to find compromises that are beneficial to both sides,” Mr Putin said.
Mr Erdogan echoed that sentiment and said he believed “there is great benefit in continuing our Turkish-Russian relations by strengthening them every day.”
Russia is the main ally of the Syrian government while Turkey supports groups that have fought to unseat Syrian President Bashar Assad.
However, Russian and Turkish troops have co-operated in Idlib, the final holdout of rebel forces, and in seeking a political solution in the country.
“Peace [in Syria] depends on the relations between Turkey and Russia,” the Turkish leader told Mr Putin.
The talks between the two presidents come amid an increase in air strikes on Turkey-backed opposition fighters’ positions in northern Syria, especially in the province of Idlib.
Last year, Turkey and Russia reached a ceasefire agreement that halted a three-month Syrian government offensive in Idlib and also saw rare direct fighting between Syrian and Turkish troops.
That Russia-backed offensive killed hundreds of civilians and displaced nearly one million people in Idlib province.
Turkey fears that an escalation of the violence in northern Syria will lead to a new influx of refugees surging across its borders. Turkey already hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees.
Russia has accused Turkey of failing to take measures to push out extremist groups from northern Syria.
Earlier this month, Mr Putin met Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in Moscow and criticised the presence of Turkish and US forces in northern Syria, calling their presence a flagrant breach of international law.
The Russian leader was referring to hundreds of US troops stationed in eastern Syria who are working with Kurdish-led fighters in battling ISIS, as well as Turkish forces in northern Syria.
The war in Syria broke out in March 2011. It has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million people, including more than five million refugees outside the war-torn nation.
The talks between Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan on Wednesday lasted for about three hours, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported.
The two leaders didn’t make any statements after the talks, but Erdogan said on social media that he left Sochi after holding a “productive” meeting with his Russian counterpart.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
