VOA news for Saturday, December 12th, 2015 Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Ray Kouguell reporting. Russia announces change in Syrian strategy. President Vladimir Putin says his country is now in support of leading Western-backed opposition group in joint operations with Syrian troops against Islamic State militants. At a meeting with his top Defense Ministry officials Friday, President Putin said for the first time Russia provided air cover, weapons and supplies to the Free Syrian Army, which has long been fighting government troops. If confirmed, it will represent a major policy shift for Russia. Negotiators at the U.N. climate conference in Paris expect to have a final draft agreement to curb global warming by Saturday morning Paris time. Negotiators from the 196 countries cannot reach a deal by the Friday deadline. Lisa Bryant reports. Much of Friday's negotiations took place behind closed doors but there were a few announcements, including that Brazil has joined the so-called "high ambition coalition." That's a group of more than 100 developing and developed countries, including the United States pushing for an ambitious climate deal. Foreign Minister Tony de Brum of the Marshall Islands, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, welcomed Brazil's move. "We responded, we want to work with countries concerned about ambition and differentiation and welcome Brazil. Having you on board is essential to our success.” Lisa Bryant, for VOA news, Paris. Gunmen in Burundi launched coordinated attacks on three military bases in the capital Friday, sparking gunbattles that left at least 12 of the attackers dead. A Burundian army spokesman said five soldiers were wounded and the 21 attackers were captured along with some arms and explosives. This is VOA news. Police in Ethiopia say a hand grenade was thrown in a mosque in the capital of Addis Ababa Friday, wounding at least six people. The explosion went off just after evening prayers at Anwar Mosque in a predominately Muslim neighborhood. There has been no claim of responsibility. The Taliban, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for a car bombing and gunfire that struck a diplomatic neighborhood of Kabul Friday. Afghan police say at least two people were killed, including a Spanish policeman. Several others were wounded. A nearby hospital run by an Italian charity reports it treated seven victims. A Taliban spokesman told VOA that a guest house was the target because he says it was being used for military activities and intelligence sharing. Pakistan fired a nuclear-capable missile Friday, just two days after hosting a regional peace conference with archrival India. The military said the surface-to-surface ballistic Shaheen III missile has a range of more than 2,700 kilometers and can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. The military did not disclose the location of the test. Authorities arrested two Syrian nationals in Geneva Friday when traces of explosives were found in their vehicle. Authorities in the Geneva region had been searching for four suspected jihadists with alleged ties to Islamic State, but police did not say whether Friday's arrests were connected to the search. Swiss police increased terror alert level in the city on Thursday. United Nations and international agencies welcomed the arrival in Toronto, Canada, of a first group of Syrian refugees for settlement. They traveled from Beirut, Lebanon, and are the first of 25,000 Syrians to be resettled in Canada by early next year. Lisa Schlein reports. The Syrians who arrived on a Royal Canadian Air Force jet are mainly from Aleppo and Damascus. Both Syrian cities have undergone heavy bombing and deprivation since the war began in 2011. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted the 163 refugees upon their arrival Thursday night. The refugees who will begin their new life under a recently announced humanitarian program were given permanent residence papers and social insurance numbers on arrival. To date, some 30 countries have pledged to resettle an estimated 160,000 Syrians. Lisa Schlein, for VOA news, Geneva. The United States and Cuba have agreed to reestablish direct postal service, which was cut more than five decades ago at the height of the Cold War. The two countries announced Friday that they will launch a pilot program in the coming weeks. They did not give a date for when service will be permanently restored. The announcement comes almost a year after President Barack Obama and Cuba's President Raul Castro announced that the two countries would renew diplomatic relations. I'm Ray Kouguell in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA.

• published: 12 Dec 2015
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