News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Russia proposes Syria ceasefire

Russia, allied to Syrian president Bashar Assad, has said it is ready to discuss a possible ceasefire in Syria in March. Deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, had said the proposal would be discussed at a conference in Munich where the United States, Russia and more than a dozen other countries are to discuss ways to end the Syrian civil war. US officials have been reported as saying Russia is seeking more time for the Syrian army to crush moderate rebel groups. Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin earlier rejected US calls to immediately halt airstrikes which have been blamed for the breakdown in Syrian peace talks last month: “We are present there legally, at the invitation of the Syrian government. In contrast to what the so called US led coalition is doing in Syria and incidentally never telling anybody what they are doing in Syria or Iraq.” Reports from Syria say Kurdish fighters backed by Russian air attacks have captured a former Syrian military airport north of Aleppo from Islamist insurgents.

“Humanitarian catastrophe” in Aleppo

The International Committee of the Red Cross says at least 50,000 people have now fled fighting in the region of Aleppo where the Syrian army backed by Russia is attempting to recapture rebel-held parts of the city. Aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian catastrophe, and say water supplies to Aleppo have been cut.

US anti-IS action “to accelerate”

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter is meeting in Brussels with over two dozen countries contributing to the war against the Islamic State terror group. Carter says he expects agreement on accelerating the campaign against IS this year.

NATO agrees to Aegean mission

NATO has agreed to a mission in the Aegean Sea meant to help slow refugee flows from Turkey to Greece and stop human smuggling. NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, after a meeting in Brussels said warships are being deployed to the area immediately.

Former Auschwitz guard on trial

The trial has opened in Germany of a 94-year-old former Auschwitz guard accused of being an accessory to the murder of 170,000 people during the Holocaust. Former SS sergeant Reinhold Hanning denies any involvement in the mass killings.

North Korea retaliates against South

North Korea has declared an industrial park, jointly run with South Korea, a military zone, after the South announced yesterday it is withdrawing from the venture in protest at Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch. North Korea has also vowed to cut two cross-border communication hotlines.

The weather

Generally sunny as scattered showers clear. Some cloud in the north. Top temperatures zero to 10 degrees.

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