Syrian Unrest

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Russia announced a last minute 48-hour ceasefire for Syria's war-torn Aleppo late Wednesday, just hours after Washington warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Moscow that they must respect the nationwide truce agreed in February.

US-backed Syrian fighters have surrounded the ISIS-held city of Manbij from three sides as they press a major new offensive against the jihadists near the Turkish border, a spokesman for the fighters said on Monday.

Russia on Wednesday accused the Saudi-backed Syrian opposition of employing blackmail by suspending its participation in peace talks in Geneva.

Syria's fragile peace talks appeared doomed on Tuesday after air strikes killed around 40 people in a crowded vegetable market in rebel territory, with the opposition saying a truce was finished and it would keep away from negotiations indefinitely.

The UN Syria mediator said on Monday that the main opposition would no longer attend talks at the United Nations in Geneva in protest against the worsening situation on the ground, but said it would remain in the Swiss city for informal discussions.

The mainstream Syrian opposition asked the United Nations to halt peace talks on Monday and rebel groups launched a new offensive against government forces, accusing the world body of bias in favour of President Bashar al-Assad.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Russia announced a last minute 48-hour ceasefire for Syria's war-torn Aleppo late Wednesday, just hours after Washington warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Moscow that they must respect the nationwide truce agreed in February.

US-backed Syrian fighters have surrounded the ISIS-held city of Manbij from three sides as they press a major new offensive against the jihadists near the Turkish border, a spokesman for the fighters said on Monday.

Russia on Wednesday accused the Saudi-backed Syrian opposition of employing blackmail by suspending its participation in peace talks in Geneva.

Syria's fragile peace talks appeared doomed on Tuesday after air strikes killed around 40 people in a crowded vegetable market in rebel territory, with the opposition saying a truce was finished and it would keep away from negotiations indefinitely.

The UN Syria mediator said on Monday that the main opposition would no longer attend talks at the United Nations in Geneva in protest against the worsening situation on the ground, but said it would remain in the Swiss city for informal discussions.

The mainstream Syrian opposition asked the United Nations to halt peace talks on Monday and rebel groups launched a new offensive against government forces, accusing the world body of bias in favour of President Bashar al-Assad.