OF THE
TIMES
"The command of the armed forces declares closure of airspace for planes and other aircraft over northwestern Syria and especially the Idlib province. All planes violating our airspace will be considered hostile and shot down to prevent them from fulfilling [their] objectives," the command said in a statement as quoted by state-run SANA news agency.Here's Moscow's response to Erdogan's request that Russia "get out of the way" in Idlib:
In a separate development, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that media reports about the alleged downing of a Russian Su-24 above the de-escalation zone in Idlib are false.
"The information, referencing internet sites of the militants, about an alleged downing of the Russian Aerospace Forces' Su-24 plane by a man-portable air defence system in the airspace over the Idlib de-escalation zone is fake," the ministry said in a statement.
"Russia is the only country which has troops in Syria on a legal basis and at the request of the legitimate Syrian government," Peskov said, speaking to Russia 1's Moscow.Kremlin.Putin programme on Sunday when asked to comment on President Erdogan's remarks about what "business" Russia has in Syria.Diplomat-speak for "get bent."
"All other military forces of other countries are in Syria in contravention of the norms and principles of international law," Peskov added.
"I'm very proud that in this campaign so far we have won the popular vote in Iowa, we have won the New Hampshire primary, we have won the Nevada caucus, but you cannot win them all."Tom Steyer is the first billionaire to bite the dust after finishing third. Not many were sad to see him go. The big question is, who will he throw his campaign machine behind?
"I believe very strongly that the people of this country on Super Tuesday and after are going to support our campaign. Because we are more than a campaign, we are a movement"
Steyer dug deep into his own pockets, spending about $20 million of his own money in South Carolina alone in hopes of overcoming the 15-percent threshold that would have allowed him to win delegates in the fourth and final early voting contest before Super Tuesday.Trump of course, couldn't resist a chance to stir the pot, telling Mike Bloomberg to drop out, and not to make things any harder for the Democrats by siphoning votes away from Biden:
However, it was not to be, as Steyer is now projected to win less than 12 percent of the vote in the primary, dominated by former Vice President Joe Biden.
"I can't see a path where I can win the presidency," Steyer said, announcing his decision to put an end to his campaign.
Shortly after the South Carolina primary exit polls pointed to a convincing victory for Biden in the fourth and final early voting contest ahead of Super Tuesday, Trump took to Twitter to send a 'congratulatory' message, taking aim at fellow billionaire Bloomberg in the process.So Biden gets a bump. Will it translate into momentum for the Super Tuesday races? Fourteen states will be voting. Polls are not promising as Sanders continues to be in the lead for in the all important delegate count. Yet he is considered the weakest candidate to go up against Trump. Will the Democrats vitriol towards Trump override the DNC's selection process?
The number is expected to hit 25,000 to 30,000 in the coming days, he said.
Turkey could no longer deal with the amount of people fleeing Syria's civil war, he added.
Turkey continued retaliatory strikes on Saturday, killing 26 Syrian government troops with drone strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.
Syria, supported by Russia, has been trying to retake Idlib from jihadist groups and Turkish-backed rebel factions.
"We said months ago that if it goes on like this, we will have to open the doors. They did not believe us, but we opened the doors yesterday," President Erdogan said in Istanbul on Saturday.
He said that some 18,000 refugees had "pressed on the gates and crossed" into Europe by Saturday morning. He did not provide evidence of these numbers.
"We will not close these doors in the coming period and this will continue. Why? The European Union needs to keep its promises. We don't have to take care of this many refugees, to feed them," he said.
Brussels had not given full financial aid agreed in the 2018 Turkey-EU refugee deal, he said.
Greece said it had averted more than 4,000 attempts to cross into the country. There were further clashes between migrants and Greek police on Saturday.
The Turkish president also said that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin - a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - to stand aside and let Turkey "do what is necessary" with the Syrian government by itself.
The Vatican has confirmed in a statement that Pope Francis and two of his aides have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.See also: Secretive military base outside Paris hit by coronavirus, Europe banning mass gatherings
The three new cases add up to the over 400 cases confirmed in Italy under a week.
Pope Francis missed a planned Mass with clergy in Rome yesterday after showing Coronavirus-like symptoms.
The Vatican had earlier said the pontiff, 83, had a slight indisposition and could proceed with the rest of his planned work today.
The pope was seen coughing and blowing his nose during the Asha Wednesday Mass.
Yesterday, he told well-wishers: 'I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus and to health-care workers who are caring for them'
Francis had been scheduled to go to the St John Lateran basilica to meet with Rome clergy and celebrate a penitential Mass at the start of Lent.
The Argentine pope has generally good health he lost part of one lung as a young man because of respiratory illness and suffers from sciatica, which makes walking difficult.
Comment: Gauido taking a page out of his masters' playbook: before the evidence is in, accuse, accuse, accuse. Then follows the international condemnation, before any investigation has even established blame against the accused party. Geopolitics is the original #MeToo.