• American filmmaker Oliver Stone on Wednesday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "stabilizing force" in the Middle East, particularly in Syria as Moscow fills a void left by U.S. forces pulling out and leaving behind their Kurdish allies. Stone, the 73-year-old director of JFK, Platoon and Wall Street, long has been known for his strident views on American foreign policy. However, his comments came during the Future Investment Initiative forum in Saudi Arabia, which has long opposed Syrian President Bashar Assad. While Putin visited both Riyadh and the neighboring United Arab Emirates this month, their differences still remain stark over Syria's war, though they slowly may be reconciling with Assad's continued rule. It wasn't clear whether Stone, who made the documentary The Putin Interviews, realized that before beginning his remarks. "Mr. Putin was always concerned about the terrorists," Stone said. "If they had gotten to Damascus, and they almost did, there would be a possible caliphate throughout this whole region." The director added: "I think Mr. Putin is very concerned about peace." Rebel forces did reach Damascus' doorstep before Russia and Iran entered the war on Assad's side. Activists have said that Russian airstrikes have targeted hospitals and civilian sites, which Moscow denies. Russian military patrols have now moved into the region between all the warring parties after American troops were withdrawn from northern Syria, leading to a Turkish invasion in an area home to U.S.-allied Kurdish forces.
• Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has turned down the Nordic Council's 2019 Environmental Award, saying that she doesn't think the climate movement needs any more awards. "What we need is for our politicians and the people in power [to] start to listen to the current, best available science," the 16-year-old wrote in an Instagram post in which she acknowledged the prestige of the award and the esteemed climate reputation of many Nordic countries. Thunberg was nominated by Sweden and Norway for the prize, which is awarded to a company, organization or person for noteworthy efforts to "integrate respect for nature and the environment into their business or work or for some other form of extraordinary initiative on behalf of nature and the environment," according to the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers website. The award comes with a cash prize of about $52,000. Thunberg also said that she was turning down the money until leaders in Nordic countries "act in accordance with what sciences says is needed to limit the global temperature rise."
A Section on 10/31/2019