UK air force needed over Syria says French Defence Minister

   PARIS (Reuters) --- British air force capabilities would make a difference in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, with precision strikes especially increasing pressure on the group, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a column on Thursday.

   The opinion piece in Britain's Guardian newspaper was published after Prime Minister David Cameron urged parliament on Thursday to back British air strikes against Islamic State in Syria. Cameron told lawmakers Britain could not "subcontract its security to other countries".

   "We need British defense capabilities to win this war. The Royal Air Force is already in action over Iraq. Its involvement over Syria would make a practical difference," Le Drian wrote in the column, published on the Guardian website.

   "The RAF has significant capabilities for precision air strikes, aerial reconnaissance and air-to-air refueling support. On a daily basis, its Tornado aircraft and unmanned drones are causing very severe damage to Isis (Islamic State) in Iraq. The use of these capabilities over Syria would put additional and extreme pressure on the Isis terror network."

Talks continue between China and Djibouti over naval facility

   (AFP) --- The US, France and Japan already have facilities in Djibouti, a base in the fight against piracy from neighbouring Somalia (AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe)

   China on Thursday said it is in negotiations with Djibouti to build a logistics hub for military operations in the strategically vital Horn of Africa entrepot.

   The announcement comes as Beijing seeks to expand its international security role, particularly in regions where it has significant economic interests, such as Africa.

   The country is a top contributor of United Nations peacekeepers to the continent and has been involved in anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.

   "China and Djibouti are currently in discussions over the construction of support facilities," defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said at a regular press conference.

   "These facilities will better ensure the Chinese armed forces' ability to carry out missions in international peace, protecting freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters," he added.

   China's foreign ministry confirmed the negotiations while avoiding describing the centre as a "military base".

   The comments came after US general David Rodriguez, the commander of the US military's Africa Command, reportedly said that Beijing had signed a 10-year lease for the base, describing it as China's first "military location" on the continent and adding it would "extend their reach."

   The US, France and Japan already have facilities in Djibouti, while Chinese officials say the country does not have any overseas military bases.

   But Chinese contracts to build or manage Indian Ocean ports have raised concerns it is seeking to establish a so-called "string of pearls" in the region.

   China's anti-piracy and peacekeeping contributions have been seen as part of an effort by Beijing to improve operational capabilities as it builds a more modern, efficient army with the help of annual double-digit defence budget increases.

   Developing a so-called "blue water" navy, able to operate far from Chinese shores, is a key goal of the efforts, which include building an indigenous aircraft carrier.

   A top Chinese general reportedly visited Djibouti earlier this month, prompting speculation that an agreement might soon be reached.

   A former French colony, Djibouti guards the entrance to the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal, and has been used by international navies -- including China -- as a base in the fight against piracy from neighbouring Somalia.

   In May, the country's president Ismail Omar Gelleh told AFP that "discussions are ongoing" with China for a military base in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, saying that Beijing's presence would be "welcome".

Russian warplanes bomb Syrian border town and aid convoy

   AMMAN (Reuters) --- Russians in retaliation for the downing of their jet that strayed into Turkish air space are going after aid convoys and civilians close to the Turkish border.

   Residents said on Thursday that Russian warplanes bombed a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border a day after hitting a truck depot near a crossing between the two countries.

   One resident said the air strikes hit a busy main square in the town of Saraqeb in Idlib province, where hundreds of vehicles brought in through the nearby Bab al Hawa border crossing were being sold.

   A second resident who was nearby and witnessed the bombing said several wounded people had been taken to hospital. Hundreds of drivers had raced away from the scene immediately afterwards in the vehicles they had hoped to sell, he said.

   Residents and rebels in the area say it is easy to identify planes from factors including the altitude at which they fly and the number of planes in the sorties.

   The car market in Saraqeb is the biggest in the province and the town is also Idlib's main commercial hub.

   Jets, believed to be Russian, hit a depot for trucks waiting to go through a major rebel-controlled border crossing, Bab al-Salam, on Wednesday, the head of the crossing said.

   Turkey's state-run news agency and activists on the ground say Russian airstrikes also hit an aid convoy traveling near the Syrian border town of Azaz in the Aleppo province.

   The Anadolu agency reported that seven people were killed and 10 wounded in strikes that it said hit a Turkish convoy taking supplies to refugees in the town on Wednesday.

   Syrian jets have struck that area before but, if confirmed to have been carried out by Russia, it would be one of Moscow's closest air strikes to Turkish territory, targeting a humanitarian corridor into rebel-held Syria and an important transit point for Syrian civilians crossing to Turkey.

Daesh radicals hiding in with migrants in Europe

   THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The latest on the mass movement of asylum-seekers and others seeking refuge in Europe. All times local:

3:59 p.m.

   A senior German police official says some of the migrants reaching Europe are Islamic State radicals planning terrorist attacks, but the refugee influx is not systemically used by extremists to bring members into the EU.

   The Austria Press Agency cited German federal police chief Hans-Georg Maasen as saying that some who blend in with the migrants fought with IS and are planning a "combat mission" once they arrive in Europe. He said Thursday that his office knows of 7,900 Islamic radicals in Germany who advocate violence to advance their goals, with some trying to win migrants to their cause.

   He said German authorities receive one or two "fairly concrete tips" a week of planned terrorist activity. And he described IS extremists as "combat-hardened professionals" more dangerous than those from al-Qaida

Pakistani Migrants demanding in

3:50 p.m.

   Scores of migrants stranded at Greece's northern border have clashed with police while trying to force their way into Macedonia.

   The migrants from Iran, Morocco, Pakistan and several other countries confronted Macedonian riot police who were seen hitting protesters with batons.

   Macedonia toughened rules for migrant crossings earlier this month, restricting access to citizens from countries typically granted asylum in Europe, including Syria and Afghanistan.

   At least 10 migrants stranded at the border are on hunger strike and have sewn their mouths closed in protest.

So called refugee from Iran sewing is mouth shut in protest

1:45 p.m.

   Norwegian police and border officials have started checking identification papers of passengers arriving and leaving, in a move to stem the flow of asylum-seekers.

   The measures adopted Thursday are planned to last 10 days. They include checks on ferries arriving from Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Police have advised all travelers to carry proof of their identity, including if they are moving around in border regions.

   Norway announced the tighter controls after neighboring Sweden proposed tough measures to deal with a huge influx of migrants, expected to reach 200,000 by year's end — the highest proportionate rate in Europe. Norwegian expects 33,000 refugees this year, a threefold increase on 2014.

   Finland, which has seen a tenfold increase in asylum-seekers this year to an expected 35,000, adopted ID checks and tighter border controls in September.

noon

   Czech President Milos Zeman, known for his critical views of Islam, says Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka is endangering the country by not fully recognizing the danger asylum-seekers are posing.

   In an interview published in Thursday's edition of the Mlada Fronta daily, Zeman say that unlike the prime minister he considers the migrant wave "an organized invasion."

   Sobotka previously dismissed Zeman's suggestion that migration is linked to terrorism. He said it is the terrorists from the Islamic State group who have to be combated, not the refugees.

   Sobotka and other members of his government on Thursday also renewed their criticism of Zeman for addressing a rally of his supporters organized by a major anti-Muslim group on Nov. 17, the 26th anniversary of the anti-communist Velvet Revolution.

   In the interview, Zeman said he would do it again.

More so called refugees from Pakistan demanding in

10:30 a.m.

   A Dutch advisory court says that the government can demand of migrants who have had their asylum applications rejected that they cooperate with efforts to repatriate them in return for basic accommodation in the Netherlands.

   The Council of State said in a ruling Thursday that the justice ministry is entitled to demand the cooperation in return for providing rejected asylum-seekers with "bed, bath and bread" accommodation while they wait to be sent back to their home country.

   While the number of migrants affected by the ruling is now relatively low, it is expected to soar in coming months amid the European migrant crisis that has seen thousands of people apply for asylum in the Netherlands.

Germany will send Tornado jets to support France in Syria

   BERLIN (Reuters) --- Germany will deploy Tornado reconnaissance jets to support France in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria, a senior lawmaker for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives confirmed on Thursday.

   "Germany will be a more active contributor than it has been until now," Henning Otte, defense expert for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said in a statement on Thursday.

   "Not only will we bolster our training mission in northern Iraq but we will, among other things, make a contribution to the fight against IS terror with Tornado reconnaissance jets."

   Germany is also considering sending a frigate and refueling planes as part of the mission, coalition sources have said.

Ukraine halts gas purchases and closes its airspace to Russia

   Kiev (AFP) --- Tensions between Moscow and Kiev ratcheted up further Wednesday as Ukraine decided to stop buying gas from Russia and closed its airspace to its giant eastern neighbour's airlines.

   The two measures not only underscore the acrimonious nature of the former Soviet countries' relations but also highlight how difficult one of Europe's deadliest crises since the Balkans Wars of the 1990s may be to resolve.

   Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a televised cabinet meeting that the flight ban was justified because "Russia might use Ukrainian airspace to stage provocations".

   "This is an issue of our country's national security -- a response to the Russian Federation and its aggressive actions."

   Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of orchestrating and supporting the pro-Russian revolt in the east to avenge last year's ouster of Kiev's Kremlin-backed president and the new government's decision to align itself with the West.

   Kiev on October 25 barred most Russian airlines from flying into Ukraine -- a decision that prompted immediate reciprocal measures by Moscow.

   But President Petro Poroshenko's government had at the time allowed Russian airlines to cross Ukrainian airspace to other destinations.

   Yatsenyuk said the new decision came "in part as result of the escalation of the military and geopolitical situation".

   A shaky Ukrainian truce is being increasingly put to the test as Russia steps up its air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

   The Ukrainian military said another soldier was killed in a new bout of clashes across the shattered war zone in the past 24 hours.

   The army also said it had imposed a unilateral ceasefire as of midnight in a bid to calm the violence.

   But Ukrainian soldiers "will not watch calmly if the enemy decides to attack our positions," the Ukrainian military's General Staff said in a statement.

   "In case their lives are in danger, our servicemen -- as previously -- have the right to open fire."

   Some analysts and politicians in Kiev accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of using the world's focus on his campaign in Syria as cover for launching a new phase in the Ukrainian war.

   Russia denies all involvement in a conflict that has killed more than 8,000 people and plunged Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

   Moscow has banned the import of most Western food products in response to sanctions imposed over its annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine last year.

   It has also restricted imports of many Ukrainian goods and is threatening a complete embargo on food imports from its neighbour to the west should Kiev joined a planned free trade alliance with the European Union on January 1.

- Russian gas deliveries halt -

   Russia's natural gas giant Gazprom had earlier Wednesday said it would stop shipping fuel supplies to Ukraine because Kiev had failed to make the required pre-payments on time.

   Gazprom boss Alexei Miller said Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz had used up all the gas it had paid for and "no new upfront payment has been made".

   The disruption is the second of its kind this year. Ukraine had already gone a full summer without making any purchases of Russian gas.

   Putin waded further into the dispute by pointing the finger of blame at the authorities in Ukraine for the ongoing power disruptions in Crimea.

   Nearly two million people in the strategic Black Sea peninsula have been without electricity -- almost all of it supplied by Ukraine -- since the weekend after its four main pylons were blown up.

   The disruption came during attempts by Crimea's ethnic minority Tatars and Ukrainian nationalists to blockade the region and prompt its forced return to the mainland.

   No one has claimed formal responsibility for the Crimean power outage.

Russia launches heavy retaliatory raids in Northern Syria

   Beirut (AFP) --- Russian warplanes carried out heavy raids in Syria's northern Latakia province on Wednesday, a day after Turkey downed one of Moscow's jets in the area, a monitoring group said.

   Warplanes believed to be Russian also carried out strikes near the Turkish border in northern Aleppo province, killing at least three people and setting alight several trucks carrying aid and goods for sale, the monitor and activists said.

   "Russian warplanes have since last night been carrying out heavy air strikes on the Jabal Akrad and Jabal Turkman regions" in the north of Latakia province, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

   He said Russian planes had carried out at least 12 strikes in the area since the morning, but had no information on any casualties.

   A media activist on the ground confirmed the heavy strikes, which he said centred around the Jabal Nuba area where rebels on Tuesday destroyed a Russian helicopter that was forced to make an emergency landing by opposition fire.

   One member of the crew was killed but the rest were rescued.

   State television reported that Syrian warplanes were also carrying out strikes in the north of Latakia, a coastal province that is largely controlled by the regime.

   In recent days, regime forces have been waging fierce battles against rebels in the northern part of the province, making some advances in Jabal Akrad and Jabal Turkman.

   Russia launched strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on September 30, over a year after a US-led coalition began strikes in the country against the Islamic State group.

   In northern Aleppo province meanwhile, apparent Russian air strikes hit the town of Azaz and the border area around the Bab al-Salama crossing, the Observatory said.

   The monitor and local Syrian activist Maamun al-Khatieb reported three people killed in the strikes, which also set fire to several trucks parked in a lot not far from the crossing.

   "Three people have been killed and six injured, most of them are truck drivers," Khatieb told AFP.

   He said the trucks were carrying aid and goods for sale, and were parked in a lot where vehicles gather after crossing the border, around three kilometres (1.8 miles) away.

   The Observatory and Khatieb said the region had not been subject to air strikes by either Russian or Syrian war planes in some time.

   IS is not present in the area.