Russia warns against any ground operation in Syria

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution says only the Syrian people can decide their future. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said it’s Iran’s policy to always support peace in Syria. Speaking in a meeting with the Ghanaian president, the Leader also slammed those who support terrorist groups.
• The commander of the Iranian army’s air defense force has warned Saudi Arabia against military intervention in Syria. Brigadier General Farzad Esmailee said such a move will end in defeat. General Esmailee also said Iran is ready to help Syria protect its airspace upon a request from Damascus.
• Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that any ground operation in Syria could lead to a long and full-fledged war in the country. His comment follows remarks by U-S Secretary of State John Kerry that more foreign troops could enter Syria if the peace plan fails.
• Human Rights Watch says Saudi Arabia is using the U-S-supplied cluster bombs against civilian areas in its ongoing war on Yemen. The rights organization says Riyadh and Washington are blatantly disregarding the global ban on the use of such munitions. The organization urged Riyadh to Quote immediately stop using such weapons.
• A Saudi soldier has been killed and another wounded after a military base came under a retaliatory attack by Yemeni forces in Najran. Reports say the rocket attack followed heavy artillery fire from the Saudi base. Nearly a dozen Yemeni civilians were also killed in the latest Saudi air raids on Sana'a.
• Bahrainis are marking the fifth anniversary of their popular uprising against the Al Khalifah regime. In the capital Manama, people marched on Shuhada Square while separate rallies were held in other regions with security forces cracking down on the demonstrators. Manama’s clampdown on peaceful protests has left dozens dead.
• Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank. In the latest deadly incident, a Palestinian woman was shot dead over an alleged stabbing attack in the city of al-Khalil also known as Hebron. Israeli troops have killed nearly 180 Palestinians since the beginning of October.
• Former NATO chief Javier Solana has slammed the military alliance’s expansionist policy towards Russia. He said setting up new military command centers on the alliance’s eastern flank violates the spirit of the NATO-Russia cooperation. NATO built six new headquarters in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania in 20-15.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk