Russian military police patrol in Syria, US sets conditions for withdrawing troops from South Korea

Russia sends military police to patrol the outskirts of the Syrian capital

Russian military police in Eastern Qalamoun. Photo: Almasdar News.

Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, Director of the Russian Center for Peace and Reconciliation in Syria, said that in order to prevent provocations, ensure security for civilians, and maintain law and order, Russian military police units have organized patrols in three settlements of Ruheiba, Jeiroud, and Nasiriyah in Eastern Qalamoun.

Eastern Qalamoun is one of the last rebel strongholds on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. The Syrian army, under the mediation of Russia, reached an agreement on April 26 for the rebel fighters to withdraw peacefully.

Russian military police were also deployed in mid-month to patrol the city of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, after opposition forces completely withdrew from the area.

The US will withdraw troops from South Korea

US and South Korean soldiers during a joint exercise. Photo: Yonhap.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis said the option of withdrawing troops from South Korea when North Korea requests is a condition of a peace treaty.

The above statement was made by Mr. Mattis in the context of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in issuing a joint statement after the summit, emphasizing that the two countries agreed to officially end the Korean War.

If South Korea and North Korea sign a peace treaty, the US will likely no longer have a reason to maintain nearly 24,000 troops stationed in South Korea.

US President Donald Trump threatened in March to withdraw troops from South Korea if he did not reach a better trade deal with the country.

Israeli soldiers shoot Palestinian protesters

Palestinian protesters try to tear down barbed wire fences. Photo: AFP

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters on the afternoon of April 27 attacked the security fence on the eastern edge of Gaza City and tried to infiltrate Israeli territory, causing Israeli soldiers to respond with live ammunition and rubber bullets.

Palestinian health officials in Gaza said three people were killed and nearly 1,000 injured.

This is the fifth protest in a series of activities carried out by the Hamas organization in the Gaza Strip.

No evidence Trump colluded with Russia

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters.

The Republican-controlled US House Intelligence Committee announced the official end of its investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election, concluding there was no evidence that US President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia.

However, Democratic lawmakers have strongly objected, saying that the investigative committee did not interview enough witnesses and collect all the evidence.

The report said Russia sought to destabilize the United States through cyberattacks and social media. Portions of the text are blacked out for national security reasons.

Chinese spy plane enters Korean air defense zone

A South Korean Air Force F-16D aircraft. Photo: Yonhap

The Chinese plane is believed to be a military reconnaissance plane and circled for nearly four hours inside South Korea's air defense identification zone, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said in a statement.

The South Korean Air Force dispatched several fighter jets, including F-15Ks, to monitor the Chinese aircraft.

Through a direct communication channel with Beijing, the JSC said Seoul has called on China to stop any actions that could increase tensions and lead to accidental clashes.

China's Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on the above information.

This is at least the third such incident this year. In February, South Korea summoned the Chinese ambassador to Seoul to lodge a protest.