Russia On Syria Violence

The United States urged Russia on Thursday to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime to respect attempts to allow residents out of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Early reports show some reduction of violence in Syria since a cessation of hostilities brokered by the United States and Russia came into effect on Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The United States and Russia failed on Friday to reach a breakthrough deal on military cooperation and a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria, saying they still have issues to resolve before an agreement could be announced.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the United States on Sunday to cooperate in rooting out terrorism and said he would unveil a comprehensive plan to fight extremism and violence early next year.

Disagreements over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad should not hold up a humanitarian ceasefire or a wider deal to end the war in Syria, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday.

At least 64 people, including 28 children, have been killed by Syrian army and Russian air raids in the northern province of Aleppo in the past 24 hours, a group monitoring the war said on Saturday.

A Syrian rebel group which is part of a new US-backed alliance that also includes the Kurdish YPG militia announced on Thursday plans for an imminent offensive against Islamic State militants in Raqqa province, the jihadists' stronghold in Syria.

The Syrian presidency said on Tuesday political initiatives could not work in Syria before terrorism had been wiped out, sticking by its long-held position on how to end its war with insurgents after its Russian allies called for new elections.

An alliance of Free Syrian Army-related insurgent groups said on Monday it was sceptical about a Russian proposal to help rebels, and that Moscow must stop bombing rebels and civilians and withdraw its support for President Bashar al-Assad.

US and Russian defense chiefs spoke for the first time in over a year on Friday, breaking their silence to discuss the crisis in Syria as Moscow's increasing military buildup there raised the prospect of coordination between the former Cold War foes.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations said his country will veto a U.N. Security Council resolution to refer the crisis in Syria to the International Criminal Court, calling it a "publicity stunt" and warning that it will harm efforts to end the violence by political means.

Peace talks aimed at forging a path out of Syria's civil war have reached an impasse - with no guarantee of continuing - after five days of sparring over responsibility for mounting violence back home and President Bashar Assad's future, government and opposition delegates said on Friday.

The United States and China are in strong agreement on the need for the 15-member U.N. Security Council to quickly adopt a mandatory and binding resolution on eradicating Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, a senior US official said on Thursday.

President Barack Obama's efforts to persuade the US Congress to back his plan to attack Syria met with skepticism on Monday from lawmakers in his own Democratic Party who expressed concern the United States would be dragged into a new Middle East conflict.

The information the U.S. showed Moscow trying to prove that the Syrian regime was behind an alleged chemical weapons attack is "absolutely unconvincing," Russia's foreign minister said on Monday.

The United States urged Russia on Thursday to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime to respect attempts to allow residents out of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Early reports show some reduction of violence in Syria since a cessation of hostilities brokered by the United States and Russia came into effect on Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The United States and Russia failed on Friday to reach a breakthrough deal on military cooperation and a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria, saying they still have issues to resolve before an agreement could be announced.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the United States on Sunday to cooperate in rooting out terrorism and said he would unveil a comprehensive plan to fight extremism and violence early next year.

Disagreements over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad should not hold up a humanitarian ceasefire or a wider deal to end the war in Syria, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday.

At least 64 people, including 28 children, have been killed by Syrian army and Russian air raids in the northern province of Aleppo in the past 24 hours, a group monitoring the war said on Saturday.

A Syrian rebel group which is part of a new US-backed alliance that also includes the Kurdish YPG militia announced on Thursday plans for an imminent offensive against Islamic State militants in Raqqa province, the jihadists' stronghold in Syria.

The Syrian presidency said on Tuesday political initiatives could not work in Syria before terrorism had been wiped out, sticking by its long-held position on how to end its war with insurgents after its Russian allies called for new elections.

An alliance of Free Syrian Army-related insurgent groups said on Monday it was sceptical about a Russian proposal to help rebels, and that Moscow must stop bombing rebels and civilians and withdraw its support for President Bashar al-Assad.

US and Russian defense chiefs spoke for the first time in over a year on Friday, breaking their silence to discuss the crisis in Syria as Moscow's increasing military buildup there raised the prospect of coordination between the former Cold War foes.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations said his country will veto a U.N. Security Council resolution to refer the crisis in Syria to the International Criminal Court, calling it a "publicity stunt" and warning that it will harm efforts to end the violence by political means.

Peace talks aimed at forging a path out of Syria's civil war have reached an impasse - with no guarantee of continuing - after five days of sparring over responsibility for mounting violence back home and President Bashar Assad's future, government and opposition delegates said on Friday.

The United States and China are in strong agreement on the need for the 15-member U.N. Security Council to quickly adopt a mandatory and binding resolution on eradicating Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, a senior US official said on Thursday.

President Barack Obama's efforts to persuade the US Congress to back his plan to attack Syria met with skepticism on Monday from lawmakers in his own Democratic Party who expressed concern the United States would be dragged into a new Middle East conflict.

The information the U.S. showed Moscow trying to prove that the Syrian regime was behind an alleged chemical weapons attack is "absolutely unconvincing," Russia's foreign minister said on Monday.