Syria Unrest

In the aftermath of a barrel bomb attack in Syria's Idlib, nine-year-old Abdel Basset Al-Satuf tries to sit up, his legs blown off, and screams "Daddy, pick me up!" Abdel Basset was caught in a barrel bomb attack by regime forces on Thursday in the town of Al-Hbeit, in northwest Idlib province.

A Russian aircraft carrier used to wage a massive offensive on the Syrian city of Aleppo is on its way back to Russia, Britain's defence minister said Wednesday, calling it a "ship of shame".

The Trump administration on Monday opened the door to cooperating with Russia "or anyone else" to combat the ISIS, suggesting it could reverse a previous refusal to coordinate military action with Moscow as long as it backs the Syrian government.

Responsibility for atrocities committed in Aleppo lies with Syria and its Russian and Iranian backers, US President Barack Obama said Friday as Damascus suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the city's last rebel-held areas.

The fight for Aleppo came to symbolize the hopes, the fears and the failures of the Syrian war. The only question now is how the battle ends.

The Islamic State's conquest of Palmyra appears to have netted the group a trove of weaponry, armor, ammunition and equipment that risks fueling a surge of gains by the militants in Syria at a time when attention has been diverted on the battle unfolding in Aleppo.

European leaders and President Barack Obama on Friday will discuss extending sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, and possible new sanctions for its bombing in Syria, sources familiar with the plans said.

The United Nations says it hopes to carry out the first medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo on Friday after getting clearance from all warring parties in the devastated Syrian city.

Washington, Moscow and key regional players who met in Switzerland for Syria peace talks have decided to "prolong contacts", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.

The United States on Sunday called Russia's action in Syria "barbarism," not counter-terrorism, while Moscow's UN envoy said ending the war "is almost an impossible task now" as Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow, bombed the city of Aleppo.

US Ambassador Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia's call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a "stunt."

The United States and Russia agreed Friday to the renewal of a cease-fire in Syria, to begin Monday with the cessation of all air and ground attacks by all parties, including the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

World powers have not ruled out Turkey's idea for a "safe zone" in Syria but they have not shown a clear will to implement the plan either, the spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Syria's government secured a deal to restore its authority over another rebellious Damascus suburb on Thursday while Syrian rebels captured new ground in a lightning advance on the central city of Hama and suspected government airstrikes killed 25 civilians in the surrounding province.

The only way into rebel-held parts of Aleppo was cut on Thursday by a Syrian government advance that put the road within firing range, two rebel sources and a group monitoring the conflict said.

In the aftermath of a barrel bomb attack in Syria's Idlib, nine-year-old Abdel Basset Al-Satuf tries to sit up, his legs blown off, and screams "Daddy, pick me up!" Abdel Basset was caught in a barrel bomb attack by regime forces on Thursday in the town of Al-Hbeit, in northwest Idlib province.

A Russian aircraft carrier used to wage a massive offensive on the Syrian city of Aleppo is on its way back to Russia, Britain's defence minister said Wednesday, calling it a "ship of shame".

The Trump administration on Monday opened the door to cooperating with Russia "or anyone else" to combat the ISIS, suggesting it could reverse a previous refusal to coordinate military action with Moscow as long as it backs the Syrian government.

Responsibility for atrocities committed in Aleppo lies with Syria and its Russian and Iranian backers, US President Barack Obama said Friday as Damascus suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the city's last rebel-held areas.

The fight for Aleppo came to symbolize the hopes, the fears and the failures of the Syrian war. The only question now is how the battle ends.

The Islamic State's conquest of Palmyra appears to have netted the group a trove of weaponry, armor, ammunition and equipment that risks fueling a surge of gains by the militants in Syria at a time when attention has been diverted on the battle unfolding in Aleppo.

European leaders and President Barack Obama on Friday will discuss extending sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, and possible new sanctions for its bombing in Syria, sources familiar with the plans said.

The United Nations says it hopes to carry out the first medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo on Friday after getting clearance from all warring parties in the devastated Syrian city.

Washington, Moscow and key regional players who met in Switzerland for Syria peace talks have decided to "prolong contacts", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.

The United States on Sunday called Russia's action in Syria "barbarism," not counter-terrorism, while Moscow's UN envoy said ending the war "is almost an impossible task now" as Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow, bombed the city of Aleppo.

US Ambassador Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia's call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a "stunt."

The United States and Russia agreed Friday to the renewal of a cease-fire in Syria, to begin Monday with the cessation of all air and ground attacks by all parties, including the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

World powers have not ruled out Turkey's idea for a "safe zone" in Syria but they have not shown a clear will to implement the plan either, the spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Syria's government secured a deal to restore its authority over another rebellious Damascus suburb on Thursday while Syrian rebels captured new ground in a lightning advance on the central city of Hama and suspected government airstrikes killed 25 civilians in the surrounding province.

The only way into rebel-held parts of Aleppo was cut on Thursday by a Syrian government advance that put the road within firing range, two rebel sources and a group monitoring the conflict said.