A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed President Trump by phone Tuesday on Moscow’s plans for ending Syria’s 6-year-old civil war, a development that likely will keep U.S. foe Bashar Assad in power in Damascus and underscores Russia’s growing influence in the Middle East.

The Kremlin said Mr. Putin stressed the need to keep Syria’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity intact” and that Mr. Assad favors new presidential and parliamentary elections.

Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters before flying to Florida for Thanksgiving, didn’t answer questions about Mr. Assad’s fate but said the nearly 90-minute call with Mr. Putin was “great.” [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A single American military airstrike killed at least 100 fighters allied with the Somali-based terror group al-Shabab, the Pentagon revealed Tuesday, adding to an escalating body count as the Trump administration ramps up its counterterrorism campaign in the West African nation.

U.S. forces working with the Somalian government on Tuesday confirmed an American sortie against a suspected al-Shabab camp ended with more than 100 fighters dead. The strike, which took place 125 miles west of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, was the largest casualty count racked up by U.S. warplanes operating in Somalia this month.

And the Pentagon said the up-tempo pace will not fade quickly. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Senate Republicans included $1.6 billion for the first installment of President Trump’s border wall in the new homeland security spending bill they released Tuesday, keeping the president’s marquee immigration promise on track.

While avoiding the term “wall,” the Senate bill calls for $1.6 billion in funding for “physical barriers” and border roads — matching Mr. Trump’s original request for money to build or repair fencing along 74 more miles of the U.S.-Mexico line.

The homeland security measure is one of a series of spending bills the GOP released Tuesday as they geared up for an end-of-year battle over 2018 funding. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – On a surprise trip to Russia, Syria’s Bashar Assad discussed potential new peace initiatives for post-war Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin who declared that Russia’s two-year military campaign in Syria is wrapping up, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

Moscow released footage of Assad warmly embracing Putin, who hosted him in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, ahead of a summit between Russia, Turkey and Iran and a new round of Syria peace talks in Geneva later this month.

The meeting was unannounced and the Kremlin did not make it public until Tuesday morning. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A suicide bomber killed at least 50 people in northeastern Nigeria on Tuesday (November 21) in an attack on a mosque which bore the hallmarks of a faction of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

The bombing in Mubi in Adamawa state was one of the deadliest in Nigeria’s northeast since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015 pledging to end Boko Haram’s eight-year insurgency and attacks by the group on civilian and military targets. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The US military said on Tuesday that it had conducted two air strikes against Islamic States militants in Libya in the past few days.

In a statement, US Africa Command said one strike was carried out on Friday and another one on Sunday. It said both strikes were carried out near the city of Fuqaha, but did not say how many militants had been killed.

The statement said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Libya’s Government of National Accord. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions against 13 Chinese and North Korean organizations Washington accused of helping evade nuclear restrictions against Pyongyang and supporting the country through trade of commodities like coal.

The U.S. Treasury announced the action one day after President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, on its website.

The new curbs show the Trump administration’s focus on hurting trade between China and North Korea, which it sees as key to deterring Pyongyang from its ambition to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. [ Source: Channel News Asia (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – US President Donald Trump described the conversation with the Kremlin chief as a “great call” and said the two leaders spoke “very strongly about bringing peace to Syria.”

During the call on Tuesday, the Russian president told Trump of “the main results” of his earlier meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Kremlin said. Putin had discussed the civil war with the Syrian leader in Sochi on Monday.

Moscow also said that, while talking to Trump, Putin “stressed Russia’s willingness to actively facilitate” a settlement in Syria. He also noted the “need to keep Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity intact.” [ Source: Deutche Welle (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is investigating senior White House adviser Jared Kushner over contacts with Israeli officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday.

Mueller, investigating Russian ties to the US President Donald Trump’s campaign, is looking at overtures Israeli figures made to Kushner and other senior Trump transition team staff surrounding a United Nations Security Council vote in December 2016 condemning West Bank settlements, the newspaper reported. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is investigating senior White House adviser Jared Kushner over contacts with Israeli officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday.

Mueller, investigating Russian ties to the US President Donald Trump’s campaign, is looking at overtures Israeli figures made to Kushner and other senior Trump transition team staff surrounding a United Nations Security Council vote in December 2016 condemning West Bank settlements, the newspaper reported. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]