Putin Orders Partial Withdrawal of Russian Troops from Syria

In an unannounced visit to Syria, President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of a "significant proportion" of Russian forces there. Mr Putin made a similar withdrawal announcement last year, but Russian military operations continued. Will it materialise this time?

Also in the programme; Tanzania's president has pardoned two child rapists and; Alabama voters prepare to pass judgement on a Senate candidate accused of sexually abusing teenage girls.

Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad attend a meeting with Russian military officers during their visit to the Russian air base in Hmeimim in the northwestern Syrian province of Latakia on December 11, 2017. Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images.