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Fund and Fury: Turkey fumes at US plans to fund YPG

Friday, 16 February 2018 10:20 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 16 February 2018 10:20 AM ]

These are the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:

Fund and Fury: Turkey fumes at US plans to fund YPG

A decision by the US to keep funding the Kurdish People's Protection Unites (YPG) has angered Ankara. Ahead of a visit by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “Our ally’s decision to give financial support to the YPG... will surely affect the decisions we will take.” His comments came after the release of the US Department of Defense’s 2019 budget, in which the Pentagon requested $300 million for Syrian “train and equip activities” and $250 million for border security requirements. Ankara sees the YGP as a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

North Korea’s overture to South Korea leaves US in cold

Since he took over leadership after his father’s departure, the North Korean leader Kim Jung-un has proved he is not that inapt the US and other western officials and media have tried to depict him as being. His latest overture to South Korea shows how shrewd he is. He has hailed the South for its handling and hosting of the Winter Olympics and has called for efforts toward reconciliation between the two Koreas. During the opening ceremony if the Olympic Games, the two sides’ athletes participated under a unified flag. Their high-ranking officials including the president of the south and the sister of the North Korean leader as well as its ceremonial head of state also shook hands during the ceremony. The visit is a milestone as it is the first by high-ranking North Korean officials to the south since the 50's.

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