Turkish troops have begun an offensive in northern Syria, which could bring them into direct conflict with Kurdish-led forces allied to the United States. The move was announced by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey wants to create a "safe zone" cleared of a Kurdish militia that will also house some of Turkey's 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Donald Trump controversially withdrew US troops ahead of the action but says Turkey may face economic consequences. The Kurds were key US allies in defeating the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Mr Trump's withdrawal of the few dozen US troops in the border ... (full story)