Agencies, Mosco
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that the country’s “humanitarian” flights to Syria carry military equipment as well as humanitarian aid – after the US and NATO warned Moscow over its involvement in the Syrian conflict.
“Russian planes are sending to Syria both military equipment in accordance with current contracts and humanitarian aid,” Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.
Russia’s Kommersant daily newspaper said earlier on Thursday that Moscow’s advanced BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers were among arms supplied to Damascus.
Biden hesitant about presidential bid
AFP, Washington
Vice President Joe Biden cast doubt on a potential bid for the White House bid late Thursday, in an emotional television interview that delved into his faith and grief at the loss of his son Beau.
When talk show host Stephen Colbert asked Biden whether he had an announcement to make, the vice president said “yes,” keeping the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York on edge.
“I think you should run for president and I’ll be your vice president,” Biden told Colbert, who ran a mock campaign for president in 2012.
Gun battle kills four in Kashmir
AFP, Srinagar
Fighting in India-held Kashmir killed two soldiers and two suspected rebels Friday, as representatives from India and Pakistan met to discuss security on the disputed frontier.
The deaths were the latest to occur in recent weeks, which have seen an upsurge in firing by both sides across the heavily militarised border.
Police said the fighting broke out late Thursday after the army received a tip-off regarding the presence of suspected militants in Laribal village, some 70 kilometres northwest of the main city of Srinagar.
‘Substantial progress’ in EU-Cuba talks
AFP, Havana
There has been “substantial progress” in talks in Havana on normalizing ties between the European Union and Cuba, the head of the EU delegation said.
“There has been substantial progress, including in the areas of human rights, democracy and governance, and the remaining differences were narrowed even further,” said Christian Leffler, who heads the European delegation.
The EU suspended relations with Cuba in 2003 over a crackdown on journalists and activists.
UK announces record terror arrests
AFP, London
British police made a record 299 terror arrests over the last 12 months, overtaking the previous highest level in the year of the London bombings in 2005.
In the year to March, 299 people were detained for terrorism-related offences, an increase of 31 per cent on the previous year, Home Office figures showed.
It is the highest number since data collection began in September 2001.
