Here’s the text of the White House letter to Democrats saying it won’t cooperate with impeachment probe

Here is the text of the White House’s letter sent to congressional Democrats, saying the Trump administration won’t cooperate with their impeachment inquiry.

As the battle over impeachment intensified, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in response to the letter that “continued efforts to hide the truth of the president’s abuse of power from the American people will be regarded as further evidence of obstruction.”

The letter was released by the White House late Tuesday.

Turkey’s ETF sinks 1.8% as Erdogan launches military strike in Syria

A Turkey-focused exchange-traded fund was trading sharply lower Wednesday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicked off a military offensive in Syria. The iShares MSCI Turkey ETF TUR, -2.43% was down 1.8% in Wednesday trading and was on track to decline for three consecutive sessions, which would mark its longest losing skid since the five-session period ended Aug. 22, according to FactSet data. Turkey had long threatened an attack on the Kurdish fighters whom Ankara considers to terrorists.President Donald Trump agreed to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and hand control to Turkey, leaving Syrian Kurds who helped the U.S. in a fight against Islamic State, vulnerable to Turkish attack. Meanwhile, Turkey’s lira was down 0.5% against the U.S. dollar. The dollar last bought 5.8562, compared with 5.8317 lira late Tuesday in New York. –with Associated Press

Turkish jets pound border towns, villages in northeast: Syrian SDF

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Turkish jets struck military positions and civilians in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain, as well as near the cities of Qamishli and Ain Issa in northeast Syria, the Kurdish-led force that controls the region said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Twitter that there was a wave of displacement and initial reports of civilian casualties without giving further details.

Turkish lira volatility gauges hit 3-week highs on launch of Syria operation

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Turkish lira implied volatility gauges jumped to the highest levels in three-weeks after the lira weakened in the wake of Ankara launching its military operation in Syria.

The one week gauge rose to 10.35%, while the one-year gauge jumped to 17.8%, the highest level in four weeks, data from Fenics showed.

Turkey’s lira weakened 0.5% against the dollar. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Tom Arnold)

EuroMillions lottery: UK winner of £170million record jackpot STILL hasn’t come forward

One lucky UK ticket-holder bagged the £170 million EuroMillions jackpot to become the country’s biggest ever winner.

The player matched all five main numbers – 07, 10, 15, 44, 49 – and the two lucky stars – 03, 12 – in Tuesday’s draw following the longest-ever series of rollovers.

More to follow.

Turkey-Backed Syrian rebels vows to strike YPG 'with iron fist'

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Turkey’s rebel allies in northern Syria said on Wednesday they would have no mercy on Syrian Kurdish fighters in the northeast, whom they said had left them no choice but a battle.

“Strike them with an iron fist, make them taste the hell of your fires,” a statement from the National Army, the main Turkey-backed rebel force told its fighters. It also called for sparing civilians and those who defected to the rebels.

Bernie Sanders’ daughter-in-law dies at 46 after cancer diagnosis

The daughter-in-law of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has died, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Rainè Riggs was 46.

The Lee & Martin Funeral Home in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, says Riggs died Saturday, the day Sanders returned to Vermont after suffering a heart attack. Her obituary said she was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer.

Riggs, a neuropsychologist, was married to Levi Sanders, who ran unsuccessfully for a New Hampshire congressional seat in 2018. Riggs’ obituary says she met Levi Sanders while the two worked at an emergency food shelter in Vermont.

The obituary said Riggs was the director of behavioral medicine at Dartmouth Medical School for several years, and she started the Palliative Care Department for Dartmouth Medical Center. She also owned Riggs Geriatric Psychology in Windsor, Vermont.

Riggs and Sanders had three children.

Screenshot shows online obituary for Raine Riggs, who died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2019, after being diagnosed with cancer. She was married to Levi Sanders, son of Sen. Bernie Sanders. (Photo: Free Press Staff)

US-Mexico border wall poses 'severe environmental threat'

Bulldozers are clearing the way to build a new wall that may come with an enormous environmental cost.

Bulldozers are clearing the way to build a new wall on the border between Mexico and the United States.

The wall is a $5bn commitment by US President Donald Trump to stop asylum seekers getting into the US.

But experts say the environmental cost of the wall may be enormous too, as well as irreversible.

Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reports from northern Mexico.