Russia stance on Assad suggests divergence with Iran

Russia does not see keeping Bashar al-Assad in power as a matter of principle, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Tuesday in comments that suggested a divergence of opinion with Iran, the Syrian president's other main international backer.

Fuelling speculation of Russian-Iranian differences over Assad, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps suggested on Monday that Tehran may be more committed to him than Moscow was.

While Russia and Iran have been Assad's foremost foreign supporters during Syria's four-year-old war, the United States, its Gulf allies and Turkey have insisted the president must step down as part of any eventual peace deal.Talks in Vienna on Friday among the main foreign players involved in diplomatic efforts on Syria failed to reach agreement on Assad.

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday if saving Assad was a matter of principle for Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "Absolutely not, we never said that."

"We are not saying that Assad should leave or stay," RIA news agency quoted her as saying.

But another regime change in the Middle East could be a catastrophe that "could simply turn the whole region into a large black hole", she added.

Zakharova said Russia had not changed its policy on Assad and that his fate should be decided by the Syrian people.

But her remarks appeared to suggest a difference of approach compared with Iran, which has sent forces to fight alongside Assad's military and ordered in fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which it controls.

Russia "may not care if Assad stays in power as we do", the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency on Monday. But he added: "We don't know any better person to replace him."

Syria's deputy foreign minister rejected the idea of a transitional period sought by Western states that want Assad removed from power.

"We are talking about a national dialogue in Syria and an expanded government and a constitutional process. We are not at all talking about what is called a transitional period," Faisal Mekdad said during a visit to Iran.

He said Assad had been elected president by a large majority and the Syrian people had confirmed there was no alternative to him as leader.

Russia intervened militarily at the end of September to support Assad by launching bombing raids on rebel groups trying to overthrow him.

Russian and U.S. air forces held a joint training exercise in Syria on Tuesday aimed at preventing dangerous encounters between their aircraft, Russia's defense ministry said.

Syria's skies are becoming increasingly crowded as Russia and a U.S.-led coalition carry out separate air campaigns.

A U.S. military official said a U.S. fighter aircraft and a Russian fighter aircraft conducted a communication test over south central Syria to validate safety protocols agreed between the two countries last month.

The two aircraft came within 5 miles (8 km) of one another in a test that lasted about 3 minutes, the U.S. official said.

Moscow meanwhile has shown increasing flexibility in diplomatic efforts to resolve a conflict that has killed 250,000 and displaced millions.

Syrian government officials and members of the country's splintered opposition could meet in Moscow next week, Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying.

He did not say which opposition members might attend, but the invitation appeared to suggest a change in tone from Moscow, which has until now dismissed such groups.

Moscow's goal was not to support Assad, but to save the Syrian state and defeat terrorist groups, a Russian analyst said. "It is the beginning of a political process," said Irina Zvyagelskaya, a Middle East analyst at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss attempts to start a dialogue between Damascus and the opposition, Moscow's foreign ministry said.

At the talks in Vienna, where Russia was the leading player, Moscow said it wanted opposition groups to participate in future discussions on the Syria crisis and exchanged a list of 38 names with Saudi Arabia.

The list included mostly former and current members of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SNC), Syria's Western-backed political opposition bloc, Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday.

On the battlefield, a newly-formed U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance advanced against Islamic State in the northeast province of Hasaka on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

In the west, Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes in Hama province while unidentified jets bombarded the outskirts of the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa in the north.

Syrian government forces and allied militia clashed in fierce battles with Islamic State fighters southeast of Aleppo city, the Observatory said.

Article Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-government-opposition-could-meet-russia-next-week-092752614.html

Sevilla vs. Man City Live Stream News

It’s desperation time for Sevilla, as they need all the points when Manchester City visits on Tuesday. The Spanish side has just three points through three matches of group play, and is looking up at City (6) and Juventus (7) in the standings.

City has stepped up their international game this year, thanks in part to the addition of Kevin De Bruyne. The German midfielder scored the winner against Sevilla two weeks ago, and City is 2-0 in UCL with De Bruyne in the starting lineup. They’ll need a big effort from him today, as City will be without David Silva (ankle), Samir Nasri (hamstring), and Sergio Aguero (hamstring).

Start is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Eastern, and the match will be broadcast on regional FOX Sports networks throughout the US. Here’s how to watch the match online and on mobile:

How to Watch Sevilla vs. Manchester City Online

Benoit Tremoulinas has started all three UCL games for Sevilla this season.

If you have access to a cable subscription, you can watch the game online for free through Fox Sports GO. You’ll need the log-in and password for a cable subscription — either yours or someone else’s — to access the stream. Frequently asked questions about Fox Sports GO can be found here.

If you don’t have Fox Sports in your cable packages, you can purchase a service called Fox Soccer 2Go, which shows most of the matches online. The service is sold by a $99.99 per year subscription.

For UK viewers, if you have a BT broadband subscription, you may watch the match on that service.

For International viewers: If you have access to a cable or satellite subscription — either yours or someone else’s — you can watch the game online on your respective local providers. Please click here for a listing of local providers in your home country.

How to Watch Sevilla vs. Manchester City On Mobile

Without Sergio Aguero available, Wilfried Bony will be needed up top for City.

Mobile users can watch the game on the Fox Sports GO app, which is free to download for your Apple device, your Android or Google device, your Amazon device, and your Windows device. As is the case with the desktop live stream, you’ll need a cable log-in and password to access the stream on the app.

If you don’t have Fox Sports in your cable packages, you can purchase a service called Fox Soccer 2Go, which shows most of the matches on mobile. The subscription fee is $99.99 per year. You can download the Fox Soccer 2Go app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

For UK viewers: Mobile users can watch the game via the BT Sport App, which you can download in the App Store or the Google Play Store. As is the case with the desktop livestream, you’ll need a cable provider log-in to watch.

Article Source: http://heavy.com/sports/2015/11/sevilla-manchester-city-live-stream-online-mobile-free-app-phone-computer-tablet-channel-time-uefa-champions-league/

Man Utd vs CSKA Moscow Live Stream, Team and TV Info

Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow sees Old Trafford receive a visit from the runaway Russian Premier League leaders.

The Horses—so nicknamed thanks to their training facility being "previously located in a horses stable," per the Independent—finished runners-up in last season's title race, but after 14 games of their domestic season, they boast an unbeaten record and a nine-point lead.

The Red Devils, of course, have struggled for form of late. Their defence has conceded just once since the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal—the goal scored by Seydou Doumbia in Moscow—but that game was also the last time their attack registered a goal.

Per Mark Ogden of the Daily Telegraph, Louis van Gaal described his side's struggles in front of goal as "a moment in the process," but he acknowledged the need for improvement in that area. 

With Group B delicately poised at the halfway stage, the result of this game could be a big factor in the eventual standings.

Wolfsburg currently top the group with six points. CSKA and United are equally matched on four points—both having scored and conceded four goals. PSV Eindhoven have just three points—having suffered two defeats since their win over United in the group's first round of fixtures.

Both managers know a win here will be a significant step towards qualification.

Date: Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (U.K. Only) / Fox Sports 1 (U.S. Only)

Live Stream: BT Sport (U.K. Only) / Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S. Only)

Form Lines

Manchester United: LWDDLD

CSKA Moscow:  LWDDWW

Team News

Manchester United's website cited an MUTV interview with Van Gaal to confirm Phil Jones will be "returning in the selection," but Memphis Depay will miss out due to this game coming too soon for his recovery. They also report Antonio Valencia is "set to miss out" and Luke Shaw is still absent with his long-term injury. 

Morgan Schneiderlin missed training on Monday, but Van Gaal explained that this was for "private reasons," which the manager had accepted. This is good news for United, who may have lacked midfield solidity without the Frenchman. 

United's official website also reported, "Paddy McNair is moving closer to fitness after being granted a break in Northern Ireland last week," which will add to the Red Devils' squad depth.

BBC Sport noted, "CSKA defender Aleksei Berezutski and midfielder Roman Eremenko, who has a groin injury, are doubtful for the match."

Predicted Lineups

Manchester United - Football tactics and formations

The above lineup has an aspect of wish fulfillment to it. In truth, playing Ander Herrera in midfield may be a tad too attacking for Van Gaal's current tastes. However given their recent difficulty in creating chances, a more attack-minded central-midfielder to play alongside Schneiderlin could be an asset.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has not been at his best recently, and perhaps could benefit from a rest. He and Michael Carrick could also struggle against CSKA's quick, incisive counter-attacking, and having the additional energy in midfield could be an asset to United from a defensive perspective too.

Elsewhere, with Memphis unavailable, dropping Herrera deeper would allow a route to playing Anthony Martial at centre-forward, something many United fans would be happy to see.

CSKA Moscow - Football tactics and formations

For CSKA, Bibras Natkho will presumably line up in central midfield if Eremenko does not play. Elsewhere, given they made life very difficult for United in the first half in Moscow and are in such good form, sweeping changes are unlikely.

Players to Watch 

It is hard to look beyond Martial  as United's main man in this game. After the Crystal Palace game on Saturday, Alan Pardew said, per Sky Sports, "It was a big target for us to stop him and we felt that if we could stop him we could stop their creative angle."

CSKA were unable to stop Martial from having an impact in Moscow. Although he played that game on the left wing, his goal came from some fine centre-forward play, as he guided his header deftly past Igor Akinfeev.

That remains the only goal the 19-year-old has scored since being moved out to the flank, and if Van Gaal wants to maximise Martial's—and United's—chances of success, he should play his young charge through the middle. 

CSKA's star man against United was right-back Mario Fernandes. With six tackles, seven interceptions and seven clearances, he did a fine job of keeping Martial quiet when the Frenchman tried to attack down the left. He was also an outlet during CSKA's counter-attacks. 

Elsewhere, Pontus Wernbloom also shone, from a defensive perspective. His seven tackles and 10 interceptions were a key part of keeping United's attack from breaking through when the Red Devils were in the ascendancy.

Key Battle

On the last occasion these two teams met, the game represented the proverbial game of two halves. In the first half, CSKA, while ceding 65 per cent of the possession, had the better chances, with five efforts on goal to United's three. In the second, United had four shots to CSKA's one, and had the ball in their possession 71.2 per cent of the time. 

According to Leonid Slutski, they were able to turn that dominance into an equaliser in part thanks to CSKA's tiredness.

Speaking to UEFA's official website, the CSKA head coach said: 

We showed very good quality in the first half. Things were working well for us and we might have gone even further in front. After half-time, though, we didn't manage to play well enough on the counter attack.

Looking at it, if you feel fatigue, mistakes happen. And given the current condition of Alan Dzagoev and Roman Eremenko, and Bibras Natcho's injury, we didn't have a player to dictate play in the middle of the park.

The change in the midfield battle was the key to the change in the game. Once again, the clash in the centre of the park will be key here.

Given United's run of form in front of goal recently, the battle between United's forwards and the ever-effective Akinfeev in CSKA's goal could also be an important facet of the game.

Article Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2585269-manchester-utd-v-cska-moscow-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info

Real Madrid vs PSG Live Stream, TV Info

All eyes will be on the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night once again as French champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Real Madrid in Group A of the Champions League.

Two weeks ago, both teams played out a disappointing goalless draw in Paris, but now there is a little more to play for, with the onus on Rafa Benitez's side to take the initiative and force their will on the Ligue 1 side.

Both clubs start the game on seven points, with PSG sitting on top due to goal difference. The draw would suit the French side, leaving the chance to finish first in the group in their own hands.

Both teams kept clean sheets in the opening games against Malmo and Shakhtar Donetsk and will be confident of doing that again in the last two matches—making Tuesday's game a huge opportunity for either side to take charge of the group.

The game is set up beautifully to be a wonderful spectacle. Real Madrid will be expected to take the game to Laurent Blanc's side. They are still considered to be higher up the chain than their French opponents, and will be keen to win at home. For PSG, they want to be considered as one of the best teams in Europe, and to do that, they have to beat the best.

They failed to take that chance when a less than full-strength Real side arrived in the French capital a fortnight ago, and it would be a wonderful statement if they could take all three points off Los Blancos in Spain.

Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2015

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

TV Info: BT Sport (UK), Fox Soccer (US)

Live Stream: Fox Soccer2Go (US)

Real Madrid named Colombian James Rodriguez in their squad for Tuesday's game after he missed the match in Paris. However, the former Monaco man may start on the bench having not played for the club since the end of August.

Centre-back Pepe has also been named in the squad, but Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale will again miss out.

PSG are still without Marquinhos (hamstring), and Javier Pastore (conjunctivitis). David Luiz is back in the squad, but there are doubts over whether he will be fit enough to start beside the club's only other fit centre-back, Thiago Silva.

Benjamin Stambouli, Thiago Motta or Serge Aurier could all play beside the Brazilian, but playing any of them there would weaken the team by taking them out of their natural position.

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Danilo, Pepe, Raphael Varane, Marcelo; Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luca Modric; Isco, Jese, Cristiano Ronaldo.

PSG (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Serge Aurier, Thiago Motta, Thiago Silva, Maxwell; Benjamin Stambouli, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti; Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Marco Verratti's role in the PSG team is becoming more and more crucial. Blanc tried to rest him against Rennes on Friday, but with the game locked at 0-0, the Italian came on and played a huge part in the game's only goal.

The former Pescara man has excelled in PSG's three-man midfield and is relishing his important role:

He told PSG's official website:

I have always been very small so I was often put in attack to be 'the least dangerous to my team as possible!

But I felt better as soon as I stepped back into midfielder. For that, I have to thank (Zdenek) Zeman and (Eusebio) Di Francesco, who first played me in this role.

I think it's my best position. I can drift out wide or help construct the play. I feel most comfortable here.

His ability to control the game, start the PSG attacks and set the pace of his team's play will be vital if the French side want to pick up all three points on Tuesday.

After the first leg, PSG's attacking trio of Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Di Maria were criticised for failing to impose themselves on the match. They followed that up with a 4-1 win over Saint-Etienne and Blanc will be hoping for that level of performance on Tuesday.

Di Maria has already contributed three goals and three assists during his eight appearances in Ligue 1, but he will be hoping to add to his goal against Malmo in this season's Champions League. To do that, he'll need to get the better of Marcelo in a classic Brazil vs. Argentina battle down the right of the PSG attack.

The PSG man will have to be wary of Marcelo's attacking ability, already this season the full-back has scored twice and provided one assist in the league, demonstrating his desire to get forward. If Di Maria doesn't help in his defensive duties, Marcelo will not wait for an invitation to push forward.

"Di Maria's had an average early part of the season," Blanc told reporters before the first game in Paris, per James Cambridge of the Daily Express.

"He's aware of that and he knows he can do a lot better. He's committed to having a great game."

It didn't happen that night, and regardless of league form, his success as a signing will all depend on how he performs against Europe's best.

Article Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2585438-real-madrid-vs-psg-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info

On immigration Ryan rules out work with Obama

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Sunday ruled out working with President Barack Obama on overhauling U.S. immigration policy, saying it would be "a ridiculous notion" to pursue legislation because Obama cannot be trusted on the issue.

Republicans have fought Obama's unilateral steps that bypassed a gridlocked Congress to try to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.

Obama's executive orders, announced last November but put on hold by the courts, would let up to 4.7 million illegal immigrants stay without threat of deportation. It was aimed mainly at helping 4.4 million people whose children are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

The immigration issue has driven a wedge between Hispanics, an increasingly important voting bloc, and Republicans, many of whom take a hard line on illegal immigration, to the benefit of Obama's fellow Democrats. Most of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States are Hispanic.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican chosen as speaker on Thursday to replace the retiring John Boehner, said he would not try to advance comprehensive immigration legislation while Obama, whose term ends in January 2017, is president.

"I think it would be a ridiculous notion to try and work on an issue like this with a president we simply cannot trust on this issue," Ryan said in an interview aired on the CBS program "Face the Nation."

"He tried to go it alone, circumventing the legislative process with his executive orders, so that is not in the cards. I think if we reach consensus on how best to achieve border and interior enforcement security, I think that's fine," Ryan added.

Ryan acknowledged that he promised the House Freedom Caucus, which includes the most conservative members of the House, not to bring up immigration reform legislation, and blamed Obama.

"This president tried to write the law himself," Ryan told the CNN program "State of the Union", accusing Obama of exceeding his constitutional powers. "Presidents don't write laws. Congress writes laws."

In the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, candidate Donald Trump and others have talked tough about illegal immigration. Trump has promised to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to deport all illegal immigrants already in the United States.

The Senate in 2013 voted to pass bipartisan legislation for the biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in decades in a generation, but the measure failed to win House approval thanks to opposition by conservative Republicans.

Pablo Manriquez of the Democratic National Committee called Ryan's comments "laughable" and said the Republicans are the ones who are untrustworthy on immigration reform.

"Two years ago, Republicans backed away from a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement that would have further strengthened our borders while requiring those who want to contribute to our country to register, undergo a full background check, pay a fine and pay taxes, and get in the back of the line for a path to citizenship," Manriquez said.

In an interview aired on "State of the Union", Boehner said he regrets immigration reform legislation was not passed while he was speaker.

Asked about whether the right flank among House Republicans bore some responsibility for thwarting immigration legislation, Boehner said there was "probably some blame there as well."

"Reforming our immigration system, securing our borders would be good for America. But unfortunately the president just kept poisoning the well - poisoning the well - to the point where it was impossible to put it on the floor of the House," Boehner said.

In August, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Obama's immigration actions made it "impossible" for the current Congress to act but that lawmakers could do so in the next Congress under a different president.

Article Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-house-speaker-ryan-says-ridiculous-obama-immigration-131533978.html

Kidneys Are Improving, Lamar Odom Goes Off Dialysis

Miracles happen. Lamar Odom has been taken off his dialysis and is no longer in need of a kidney transplant, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

The source tells Us that Odom's condition has significantly improved after it was reported that the former NBA player, 35, was suffering from kidney failure this past weekend. He was on dialysis, which serves the same function as healthy kidneys, for six hours a day, and was in need at the time of a transplant.

Odom's shocking medical turnaround was confirmed a day after a source revealed to Us that he is "walking with help now" and "getting better every day." The same insider also told Us that doctors were trying to reverse the damage done to Odom's kidneys, which was initially a life-threatening concern.

The father of two was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel on Oct. 13, and remained in critical condition for nearly 72 hours before he "opened his eyes" that Friday, Oct. 16. On Oct. 19, he was discharged from Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas and transported to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai via helicopter.

"He is getting stronger every day," the insider told Us on Thursday, Oct. 29. "And [he] has a great team of therapists and specialists working with him. He's 6-foot-11 and weighs a lot, so getting him to walk a little has been really hard."

As TMZ reported on Friday, Oct. 30, Odom is currently staying on the physical therapy floor of the hospital. The source confirms to Us that his motor skills are impaired after he suffered "a dozen strokes" from his initial hospitalization, but Odom is determined to regain muscle function.

Meanwhile, his estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, took a break from tending to Odom at the hospital and jetted off to support her boyfriend, James Harden, at the Houston Rockets game on Wednesday night. That same day, a magazine cover featuring the reality star, 31, was revealed with quotes about Odom, prompting backlash from critics and a response from Kardashian herself.

"I want to make this VERY clear.... My people cover, I shot and interviewed for PRIOR to all the events that happened," she sniped on Twitter. "It was contracted press for my book that I wrote months and months ago. Timing is what it is."

Timing, meanwhile, has tested Kardashian's relationship with Harden. The Strong Looks Better Naked author put her relationship with the NBA superstar "on hold" after news of Odom initially broke, but she's taking it day by day.

"As of now, Khloe and Lamar are not romantically together,” another source told Us this week. “Khloe and James are trying to stay in each other’s lives. Each day is something different, but they’re trying to see if they can still be together.”

Article Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lamar-odom-goes-off-dialysis-kidneys-improving-latest-182812594-us-weekly.html

Russian jet broke up in mid air but too early draw conclusions

A Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula broke up in mid-air, an official of a Moscow-based aviation agency said on Sunday after visiting the disaster site, but stressed it was too early to draw conclusions from this.

Russian authorities also ordered Kogalymavia airline, operator of the Airbus A321 which came down on Saturday killing all 224 people on board, not to fly its jets of the same model until the causes of the crash are known.

The jet, which Kogalymavia flew under the brand name Metrojet, was carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg when it crashed into a mountainous area of central Sinai shortly after losing radar contact near cruising altitude.

"The destruction happened in the air, and fragments were scattered over a large area of around 20 square kilometers," said Viktor Sorochenko, director of the Intergovernmental Aviation Committee. However, he warned against reading anything into this information. "It's too early to talk about conclusions," he said on Russian television from Cairo.

The Moscow-based committee represents governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which groups Russia and other former Soviet republics.

A woman with a child reacts as she comes to place flowers on a makeshift memorial for victims of a R …

Egyptian analysts began examining the contents of the two "black box" recorders recovered from the airliner although the process, according to a civil aviation source, could take days. However, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told Russia 24 television that this work had not yet started.

MONTHS OF INQUIRIES

A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt said in a statement that it brought down the plane "in response to Russian airstrikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land", but Sokolov told Interfax news agency the claim "can't be considered accurate".

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said it could take months to establish the truth behind the crash though his country was cooperating with Russia to aid investigations.

A woman puts a toy on a makeshift memorial for victims of a Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt, …

"This is a complicated matter and requires advanced technologies and broad investigations that could take months," Sisi said in a televised speech on Sunday.

The wreckage was found in a desolate area of stony ground.

Rescuers had collected the colorful suitcases of the passengers into a pile. A pink child's sandal decorated with white flowers lay among the debris, a reminder that 17 children were among those killed as they headed home from their holidays.

Parts of the wreckage were blackened and charred, with one section forming heaps of twisted metal, although the blue Metrojet logo was still visible on its broken tail fin.

As the Russian investigators moved slowly across the site, Egyptian military helicopters buzzed overhead, combing the wider area for debris - or bodies - not yet found.

At least 163 bodies had already been recovered and transported to various hospitals including Zeinhom morgue in Cairo, according to a cabinet statement.

Airport security sources said Russian experts who arrived on Saturday brought with them refrigerators and DNA samples to help identify and take home the dead.

Russian experts had already visited the morgue on Saturday night and Moscow's ambassador to Cairo said the first 130 bodies were due to leave on Sunday evening bound for St Petersburg.

A source inside the morgue said the bodies had been numbered using bracelets, ready to be received by the Russians, and empty ambulances were arriving to pick them up.

Those on board the doomed flight included 214 Russians, at least three Ukrainians and one Belarusian, most returning from the Red Sea, popular with Russians seeking winter sun.

The Russian flag was flying at half-mast over the country's embassy in Cairo on Sunday morning. President Vladimir Putin has declared a day of national mourning in Russia.

Russia's transport regulator said in a statement that it had grounded Kogalymavia's Airbus A321s until the reasons for the crash became clear.

Russian transport prosecutors have already examined the quality of the fuel used by the airliner and found that it met necessary requirements, Russia's state-run RIA news agency said.

The crew had also undergone medical tests recently and no problems were detected, Interfax reported.

Experts from Airbus have begun arriving in Egypt to assist in the investigation, the civil aviation ministry said.

Emergency services and aviation specialists resumed early on Sunday their search at the crash site which is spread over more than 15 square km, with 100 Russian emergency workers helping them recover bodies and gather evidence.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, launched air raids against opposition groups in Syria including Islamic State on Sept. 30.

Islamic State, the ultra-hardline group that controls large parts of Iraq and Syria, has called for a holy war against both Russia and the United States in response to airstrikes on its fighters in Syria.

Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants close to Islamic State, who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months. Much of the Sinai is a restricted military zone.

Militants in the area are not believed to have missiles capable of hitting a plane at 30,000 feet.

Islamic State websites have in the past claimed responsibility for actions that have not been conclusively attributed to them. Officials say there is no evidence to suggest so far that a bomb could have brought down the plane.

Three carriers based in the United Arab Emirates airlines - Emirates [EMIRA.UL], Air Arabia and flydubai - said on Sunday they were re-routing flights to avoid flying over Sinai. Two of Europe's largest carriers, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM , have already said they would avoid flying over peninsula while awaiting an explanation of the cause.

Sherif Fathy, Chairman of EgyptAir, said the national carrier had taken no such action. "I heard some other companies may be doing this, but I don’t think it’s justified,” he said.

The A321 is a medium-haul jet in service since 1994, with over 1,100 in operation worldwide and a good safety record. It is a highly automated aircraft relying on computers to help pilots stay within safe flying limits.

Airbus said the A321 was built in 1997 and had been operated by Metrojet since 2012. It had flown 56,000 hours in nearly 21,000 flights.

The aircraft took off at 5:51 a.m. Cairo time (1151 EDT) and disappeared from radar screens 23 minutes later, Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement. It was at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) when it vanished from radar screens.

According to FlightRadar24, an authoritative Sweden-based flight tracking service, the aircraft was descending rapidly at about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) per minute when the signal was lost to air traffic control.

Article Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-delegation-arrives-egypt-begin-crash-investigation-082617823--sector.html