Russia rushes to transfer weapons to Syria, China worried as Trump considers returning to TPP

OPCW begins emergency meeting

Children believed to have been affected by the chemical attack in Douma on April 7. Photo: AFP.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has begun an emergency meeting to discuss the suspected chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. OPCW inspectors have arrived in Damascus to begin their investigation. The team will be tasked with determining whether a chemical weapons attack took place, not who was responsible.

The OPCW arrived in Syria in late 2013 when the Syrian army agreed to hand over its chemical weapons stockpile. By June 2014, the entire Syrian army's chemical weapons stockpile had been handed over to the OPCW. However, Western countries have continued to accuse the Syrian government forces of using chemical weapons in attacks, despite Damascus's repeated denials that it has ever used such weapons.

Russia sends more weapons to Syria

Landing ship No. 148 carrying BTR-80 armored vehicle. Photo: Yoruk Isik

Yoruk Isık, a military hardware observer in the Bosphorus Strait, published images of Russian naval ships en route to the Tartus naval port in Syria, carrying BTR-80 armored vehicles, trucks and heavy boats. This move comes right after the missile strikes by the US and its allies on Syria..

The lead ship was the Project 1171 “Tapir” landing ship No. 148, which carried several BTR-80 armored vehicles equipped with the Pelena 6B jamming system, designed to detect and neutralize radio-activated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). There were also several Kamaz trucks and ambulances on board.

The remaining ship, named Alexandr Tkachenko, carries a BMK-T speedboat, specialized for building field bridges, along with many bridge construction components and military equipment.

Experts said this was a planned shipment of goods to Russian ground forces stationed in Syria, unrelated to the airstrikes conducted by the US, UK and France on April 14.

French President thanks the army

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to the military for its "outstanding performance" in Syria.

"The air strikes in Syria were carried out perfectly… And I want to thank them because it was carried out professionally… the air and naval forces were involved and we were in direct contact with our allies," Mr Macron said in an interview with BFMTV.

He added that all missiles launched during the operation in Syria had achieved their targets, and this could be considered a military success.

According to the French president, the attack on Syria was legal and "conducted in a multilateral format". "The international community intervened at the appropriate time".

Czech President Milos Zeman. Photo: Independent

In an interview with Frekvince radio, Czech President Milos Zeman said that the missile attack on Syria by the US, France and UK only proves the West's stupidity.

“It (the Syria strike) was stupid,” he said. “That’s the mildest word I can use to describe it.”

According to the Czech leader, the April 14 attack on Syria by the United States, Britain and France, carried out in violation of accepted international norms, has suddenly destabilized the situation in the country, which had just begun to show signs of improvement.

Life in the Syrian capital is peaceful after the attack

A woman takes a selfie with pigeons in a square in Damascus, Syria. Photo: Reuters.

After the attack by the US and its allies, people in Damascus went to the market, drank coffee, and did business as usual, without any signs of anxiety or fear.

The US coalition has carried out airstrikes on three targets it said were facilities related to Syria's chemical weapons, and threatened to continue using force if the Syrian President Assad's government continues to use chemical weapons to attack civilians.

Less than 24 hours after the US-UK-France coalition launched more than 100 missiles at targets in Syria, the Syrian Army Commander announced that they had completely liberated Eastern Ghouta from the hands of rebel fighters.

China concerned as Trump considers returning to TPP

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Mar-a-Lago resort on April 6, 2017. Photo: Reuters.

The US president asked economic officials to consider renegotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after a group of lawmakers expressed concerns about a trade war between the US and China and said the TPP was the best way to pressure Beijing.

Huo Jianguo, a former chief researcher at China's Ministry of Commerce, said Beijing has reason to be concerned about President Trump's announcement of considering rejoining the TPP, but there is no need to respond with a policy. "We should be steadfast and focus on stabilizing the economy and opening up to ensure the Chinese market remains attractive to foreign investors," Huo said. In response to experts' speculation, China's Ministry of Commerce has not made any official comments.

Ms. Park in court in October 2017. AP photo

Former President Park Geun-hye has submitted a waiver to the Seoul Central District Court, Yonhap news agency reported, indicating that she will continue to boycott the appeals court, similar to the first trial. Park has boycotted all court hearings because she believes she has been treated unfairly.

Ms Park's appeal trial is expected to go ahead as prosecutors seek a heavier sentence for her.

The Seoul Central District Court this month sentenced Ms. Park to 24 years in prison and a $17 million fine for bribery, abuse of power and coercion. She has denied any wrongdoing. Ms. Park’s lawyer has not yet commented.

Japanese Prime Minister unlikely to stay in office in new term

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) and former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Photo: Nuclearnews

Former Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi has predicted that incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will resign after a series of recent scandals. Mr. Koizumi said that if Mr. Abe continues to hold office, this will affect candidates of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the upper house election next summer.

Crowds of protesters gathered near the National Diet last weekend, holding signs reading: "Abe is finished" and shouting: "Abe resign!" Organizers said 50,000 people took part in the demonstration.

Mr Abe last week again denied allegations that he intervened to secure favours for the Kake Gakuen educational institution, which is run by Mr Abe's friend Kotaro Kake, to set up a veterinary school.

The Japanese prime minister has also repeatedly denied allegations that he or his wife interfered in the sale of public land at a discount to a school operator with ties to Mr. Abe's wife.

A survey by Nippon TV on April 15 showed that Abe's approval rating had dropped to 26.7%, the lowest since he took office in December 2012. According to a survey by Asahi newspaper on April 16, the rate was 31%.

Trump and former FBI director spar

Former FBI Director James Comey in an interview with ABC. Photo: ABC.

In an exclusive interview with ABC broadcast at 10 p.m. on April 15, former FBI director James Comey described US President Donald Trump as a dangerous person, "morally unfit", "causing great harm" to cultural norms and institutions.

Comey is concerned that Mr Trump may have been threatened by Russia to expose his hiring of prostitutes in his hotel room during a visit to Moscow in 2013.

Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was looking for evidence linking Trump's campaign to Russia in the 2016 US presidential election. Russia denied interfering in the US election, and Trump also affirmed that there was no collusion or illegal activity.

Former director Comey has written a book about the entire process of working with Trump called "A Higher Loyalty" which is expected to be released today (April 17).

The book, along with the ABC News interview, prompted President Trump to launch a series of attacks on Comey, challenging the book's allegations and asserting that he never demanded Comey's loyalty to him.

"James Comey, a loser, a slob, will be the weakest FBI director in history," Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter on the morning of April 15, in a series of 5 posts criticizing Comey.