As the fighting continues nearly one million people have been uprooted from their homes in Idlib. Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the country has never seen so many people displaced in such a short time. Watch report:

WION Dispatch: Syrians Find Shelter in Caves

Today in History: Resolution 90, Scotch Tape, Robert E. Lee becomes General-in-Chief and more!

The recent peace conference in Berlin fared better than most of the previous summits on Libya. But it failed to achieve its main target of brokering a ceasefire between the two warring factions in the North African country.

What happened in Berlin?

The Libyan rivals and their international backers came face to face at the United Nations-backed meet. World leaders agreed to an arms embargo on Libya whose civil war has intensified with foreign interference.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for a political solution but did not rule out a military intervention either. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the attendees have, for now, averted the war in Libya from escalating into a regional conflict.

However, countries directly involved in the fighting seemed to be at loggerheads.

Russia which backs commander Khalifa Haftar said that large-scale fighting in Libya has stopped while Turkey which supports the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said that peace won’t come until a truce is agreed upon.

Stakes rose ahead of the summit with the closure of the Eastern Libyan oil ports that are under the renegade General’s control. With this, the country’s crude output has been cut by more than half.

However, there was little discussion on the issue in Berlin and the oil fields remain shut till date.

Who all Attended the Meet?

Fayez al-Seraj who heads the internationally-recognised GNA based in capital Tripoli and Eastern commander Khalifa Haftar who leads the Libyan National Army attended the summit. While their allies had one of one, the two adversaries did not meet each other.

Leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt which back Haftar were present at the meet. France and the US which are said to be close to the renegade general were also in attendance.

On Seraj’s side, the discussions were spearheaded by Turkey which has sent its troops to help the GNA fend off the LNA’s campaign to seize Tripoli. Libya’s former coloniser Italy which backs the UN-recognised government was also present at the meet.

Leaders of the European Union, Arab League and the African Union too played a key role in deliberations.

What is the Libyan Civil War?

The current conflict intensified when Haftar ordered his LNA troops to march towards capital Tripoli last April. While al-Seraj’s government commands a fraction of Libyan territory, much of the country and also its oil fields are controlled by Haftar.

What are Europe interests in Libya?

The conflict-ridden country is among the major oil producers of the world. Instability in Libya will lead to a rise in global oil prices. But that’s not the only thing that concerns the European powers.&nbsp;

There’s also the issue of refugees. Libya which lacks proper border checks has been the focal point for African and Mediterranean immigrants to enter Europe via sea.

Europe has for long been divided over the refugee crisis with Italy claiming that it has felt the maximum burnt of illegal immigration.

What is at stake for Libya’s warring parties?

Haftar cannot claim victory until he takes hold of capital Tripoli- the battle for which has drawn longer than he expected.&nbsp;

For al-Seraj’s GNA, it is more about survival. The rebel general is becoming more and more powerful and militia commanders in Tripoli fear that they will meet the same fate that Muammar Gadaffi met. The former dictator was captured and killed by rebels in 2011.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The recent peace conference in Berlin fared better than most of the previous summits on Libya. But it failed to achieve its main target of brokering a ceasefire between the two warring factions in the North African country.

The recent peace conference in Berlin fared better than most of the previous summits on Libya. But it failed to achieve its main target of brokering a ceasefire between the two warring factions in the North African country. What happened in Berlin? The Libyan rivals and their international backers came face to face at the United Nations-backed meet. World leaders agreed to an arms embargo on Libya whose civil war has intensified with foreign interference. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for a political solution but did not rule out a military intervention either. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the attendees have, for now, averted the war in Libya from escalating into a regional conflict. However, countries directly involved in the fighting seemed to be at loggerheads. Russia which backs commander Khalifa Haftar said that large-scale fighting in Libya has stopped while Turkey which supports the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said that peace won’t come until a truce is agreed upon. Stakes rose ahead of the summit with the closure of the Eastern Libyan oil ports that are under the renegade General’s control. With this, the country’s crude output has been cut by more than half. However, there was little discussion on the issue in Berlin and the oil fields remain shut till date. Who all Attended the Meet? Fayez al-Seraj who heads the internationally-recognised GNA based in capital Tripoli and Eastern commander Khalifa Haftar who leads the Libyan National Army attended the summit. While their allies had one of one, the two adversaries did not meet each other. Leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt which back Haftar were present at the meet. France and the US which are said to be close to the renegade general were also in attendance. On Seraj’s side, the discussions were spearheaded by Turkey which has sent its troops to help the GNA fend off the LNA’s campaign to seize Tripoli. Libya’s former coloniser Italy which backs the UN-recognised government was also present at the meet. Leaders of the European Union, Arab League and the African Union too played a key role in deliberations. What is the Libyan Civil War? The current conflict intensified when Haftar ordered his LNA troops to march towards capital Tripoli last April. While al-Seraj’s government commands a fraction of Libyan territory, much of the country and also its oil fields are controlled by Haftar. What are Europe interests in Libya? The conflict-ridden country is among the major oil producers of the world. Instability in Libya will lead to a rise in global oil prices. But that’s not the only thing that concerns the European powers. There’s also the issue of refugees. Libya which lacks proper border checks has been the focal point for African and Mediterranean immigrants to enter Europe via sea. Europe has for long been divided over the refugee crisis with Italy claiming that it has felt the maximum burnt of illegal immigration. What is at stake for Libya’s warring parties? Haftar cannot claim victory until he takes hold of capital Tripoli- the battle for which has drawn longer than he expected. For al-Seraj’s GNA, it is more about survival. The rebel general is becoming more and more powerful and militia commanders in Tripoli fear that they will meet the same fate that Muammar Gadaffi met. The former dictator was captured and killed by rebels in 2011. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There's a long road to peace in Libya

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently claimed that 20,000 people who had gone missing during the country's civil war are presumably dead. Rajapaksa made the remark in a meeting with a United Nations envoy in Colombo.

His office said that death certificates would be issued for the missing.

This came after more than hundreds of families of the missing have been attending rallies demanding the whereabouts of their lost loved ones.

Some posited the idea that their relatives were still alive but captured by the security forces, a claim the government has repeatedly denied. The family members of the deceased hold daily vigils to protest.

<h6><img alt="Rajapaksa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cab0f486-feb0-4ff2-9da0-9462bb3fe52d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/116889-untitled-design-25.jpg" /> 
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

The war 
The Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tiger rebels had been warring for 26 years until the inferno was extinguished in May 2009.

The war had made ethnic faultlines in the country visible, for the majority Buddhist Sinhalese wanted to fight the Tamil rebels demanding a separate state. According to the BBC, the war had taken the lives of 100,000 people and left more than 20,000 missing.

Majority of the missing people are Tamil.

At the time of the war, Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary and helped crush the rebel movement.&nbsp;

In the final stages of the war, the United Nations had thrown accusations of atrocities towards both sides.

The BBC reported that multiple accounts of Tamil forces being killed even after surrendering were spurring out. Even with mounting video evidence, the government denied partaking in any such activities.

Watch:&nbsp;Why are critics of the Rajapaksas living in fear

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-are-critics-of-the-rajapaksas-living-in-fear-265803/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

If seen as an opponent to Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, businessmen, journalists and activists were taken into custody during the war and never seen again.

However, the government continues to deny any role in the disappearance, with Rajapaksa telling the BBC that all war crime allegations against him were ''baseless''.

<h6><img alt="Rajapaksa brothers" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="14dcd2e8-fd9c-49e8-9929-8d144f8f8cb8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/116497-untitled-design.jpg" /> 
Rajapaksa brothers&nbsp;| Reuters</h6>

''Internal matter''? 
According to the government statement given to UN resident co-ordinator Hanaa Singer, all the missing were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"President Rajapaksa outlined his plans to address the issue of missing persons. He explained that these missing persons are actually dead," the statement said.

"The families of the missing attest to it. However, they do not know what has become of them and so claim them to be missing," he said.

Death certificates are utterly important in Sri Lanka, where families cannot access property deeds, inheritances, and bank accounts without it. 
Even though the UN and other organisations have demanded the Lanka government to initiate a crimes tribunal to shed light on human rights abuses in the country, no such action has borne fruits. Sri Lanka has constantly referred to the issue as a ''internal matter'' that should be handled domestically.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-firmly-committed-to-saarc-gotabaya-rajapaksa-267154">Sri Lanka firmly committed to SAARC: Gotabaya Rajapaksa</a>

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently claimed that 20,000 people who had gone missing during the country's civil war are presumably dead. Rajapaksa made the remark in a meeting with a United Nations envoy in Colombo.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently claimed that 20,000 people who had gone missing during the country's civil war are presumably dead. Rajapaksa made the remark in a meeting with a United Nations envoy in Colombo. His office said that death certificates would be issued for the missing. This came after more than hundreds of families of the missing have been attending rallies demanding the whereabouts of their lost loved ones. Some posited the idea that their relatives were still alive but captured by the security forces, a claim the government has repeatedly denied. The family members of the deceased hold daily vigils to protest. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Reuters The war The Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tiger rebels had been warring for 26 years until the inferno was extinguished in May 2009. The war had made ethnic faultlines in the country visible, for the majority Buddhist Sinhalese wanted to fight the Tamil rebels demanding a separate state. According to the BBC, the war had taken the lives of 100,000 people and left more than 20,000 missing. Majority of the missing people are Tamil. At the time of the war, Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary and helped crush the rebel movement. In the final stages of the war, the United Nations had thrown accusations of atrocities towards both sides. The BBC reported that multiple accounts of Tamil forces being killed even after surrendering were spurring out. Even with mounting video evidence, the government denied partaking in any such activities. Watch: Why are critics of the Rajapaksas living in fear If seen as an opponent to Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, businessmen, journalists and activists were taken into custody during the war and never seen again. However, the government continues to deny any role in the disappearance, with Rajapaksa telling the BBC that all war crime allegations against him were ''baseless''. Rajapaksa brothers | Reuters ''Internal matter''? According to the government statement given to UN resident co-ordinator Hanaa Singer, all the missing were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "President Rajapaksa outlined his plans to address the issue of missing persons. He explained that these missing persons are actually dead," the statement said. "The families of the missing attest to it. However, they do not know what has become of them and so claim them to be missing," he said. Death certificates are utterly important in Sri Lanka, where families cannot access property deeds, inheritances, and bank accounts without it. Even though the UN and other organisations have demanded the Lanka government to initiate a crimes tribunal to shed light on human rights abuses in the country, no such action has borne fruits. Sri Lanka has constantly referred to the issue as a ''internal matter'' that should be handled domestically. Also read: Sri Lanka firmly committed to SAARC: Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Thousands missing in ethnic civil war are dead: Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa

In the nine months-long civil war by a military commander, General Haftar may come to an end that is if Gen Haftar and Al-Sarraj agree in the upcoming meeting that is being hosted by Germany on Sunday. Watch report:

Fineprint: Gen. Haftar and Al Sarraj to talk it out in Germany

A Turkish delegation was in Russia on Monday for talks on Syria, following reports that Russian-backed attacks there were forcing tens of thousands more Syrians to flee towards Turkey.

Turkey already hosts about 3.7 million Syrians - the world's biggest refugee population. President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday it could not handle a new influx and was urging Russia to stop the strikes in Syria's northwestern Idlib province.

The Turkey-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said on Monday 120,000 Syrians were fleeing towards the Turkish border - higher than Erdogan's estimate of 80,000.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-objects-to-malaysias-un-submission-on-south-china-sea-scmp-268661">UN</a>&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to the hostilities, which he said had displaced 30,000 people in the last week alone, his spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians and ensure freedom of movement," UN&nbsp;spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-backed-syrian-forces-gain-ground-in-idlib-269853">Idlib region</a>, the last significant area of Syria still under rebel control after 8-1/2 years of civil war.

Russia and Iran have supported Assad's forces during the Syrian conflict while Turkey has backed Syrian rebels fighting Assad.

Russian and Syrian army jets have been targeting civilian convoys trying to flee the Idlib city of Maarat al-Numan, leaving hundreds of families still trapped there, activists and aid groups have said.

"It's a tragic situation for civilians remaining in the city since Russian jets are hitting any convoy that leaves the city, while those who were able to reach areas closer to the border have nowhere to shelter," said Mohamad Rasheed, an activist in the area.

&nbsp;

LIBYA ALSO IN FOCUS

The Syrian army said on Monday it had fought fierce battles in southeastern Idlib and seized several villages after killing large numbers of what it called terrorists.

"People are lying on the ground sleeping in the open with no blankets and under rain and cold," said Feras Saad, who fled the city with his family and found shelter in the border village of Harabosh.

Moscow and Damascus both deny allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and say they are fighting al Qaeda-inspired Islamist militants.

A Turkish diplomatic source said the delegation in Russia will also discuss Turkey's potential troop deployment and military support to Libya, after Ankara and Tripoli signed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-will-increase-military-support-to-libya-if-necessary-269588">military cooperation</a> accord last month.

Russia has said it is concerned about any such deployment.

Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey could increase military support to Fayez al-Serraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been fighting off an offensive by east Libya forces led by <a href="wionews.com/world/eastern-libyan-force-warns-against-transporting-military-equipment-in-civilian-planes-269619">Khalifa Haftar</a>.

Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have backed Haftar's forces.

Later on Monday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss developments in Syria and Libya. It did not give further details.

A Turkish delegation was in Russia on Monday for talks on Syria, following reports that Russian-backed attacks there were forcing tens of thousands more Syrians to flee towards Turkey.

A Turkish delegation was in Russia on Monday for talks on Syria, following reports that Russian-backed attacks there were forcing tens of thousands more Syrians to flee towards Turkey. Turkey already hosts about 3.7 million Syrians - the world's biggest refugee population. President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday it could not handle a new influx and was urging Russia to stop the strikes in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. The Turkey-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said on Monday 120,000 Syrians were fleeing towards the Turkish border - higher than Erdogan's estimate of 80,000. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to the hostilities, which he said had displaced 30,000 people in the last week alone, his spokesman said. "The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians and ensure freedom of movement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture the Idlib region, the last significant area of Syria still under rebel control after 8-1/2 years of civil war. Russia and Iran have supported Assad's forces during the Syrian conflict while Turkey has backed Syrian rebels fighting Assad. Russian and Syrian army jets have been targeting civilian convoys trying to flee the Idlib city of Maarat al-Numan, leaving hundreds of families still trapped there, activists and aid groups have said. "It's a tragic situation for civilians remaining in the city since Russian jets are hitting any convoy that leaves the city, while those who were able to reach areas closer to the border have nowhere to shelter," said Mohamad Rasheed, an activist in the area. LIBYA ALSO IN FOCUS The Syrian army said on Monday it had fought fierce battles in southeastern Idlib and seized several villages after killing large numbers of what it called terrorists. "People are lying on the ground sleeping in the open with no blankets and under rain and cold," said Feras Saad, who fled the city with his family and found shelter in the border village of Harabosh. Moscow and Damascus both deny allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and say they are fighting al Qaeda-inspired Islamist militants. A Turkish diplomatic source said the delegation in Russia will also discuss Turkey's potential troop deployment and military support to Libya, after Ankara and Tripoli signed a military cooperation accord last month. Russia has said it is concerned about any such deployment. Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey could increase military support to Fayez al-Serraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been fighting off an offensive by east Libya forces led by Khalifa Haftar. Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have backed Haftar's forces. Later on Monday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss developments in Syria and Libya. It did not give further details.

Turkey, Russia talk Syria as thousands flee bombing

A heavy deployment of Lebanese security forces fanned out in central Beirut on Tuesday, ahead of a parliamentary session protesters have vowed to prevent as they demonstrate against the ruling elite.

Banks reopened for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a weekly cap of $1,000 on withdrawals of hard currency and transfers abroad limited to urgent personal expenses, in moves to prevent capital flight.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanon-is-a-sinking-ship-parliament-speaker-warns-262944">Lebanon</a> is in serious political and economic crisis a month after nationwide protests began. There is no indication of its leaders agreeing on a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanon-slides-deeper-into-chaos-no-sign-of-new-government-261811">new government</a> to replace the outgoing cabinet of Saad al-Hariri, who quit as premier on October 29.

Riot police scuffled with a group of protesters who were trying to use a cable to remove a barbed-wire barricade blocking a road near parliament, a Reuters witness said.

The protests have been fuelled by perceptions of corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/crisis-swept-lebanon-in-gridlock-after-safadi-withdrawal-262758"> Lebanon</a> for decades and are blamed for leading the country into its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

"How are they holding a session and not responding to the people? Those (MPs) that are in the session have nothing to do with us, and it's not what we asked for," said a protester who gave her name as Maria.

The parliamentary session was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for security considerations.

The agenda includes a proposal for a general amnesty that could lead to the release of several thousand prisoners. However, with several large parties opposed to the law, it was not immediately clear if it would pass.

A heavy deployment of Lebanese security forces fanned out in central Beirut on Tuesday, ahead of a parliamentary session protesters have vowed to prevent as they demonstrate against the ruling elite.

A heavy deployment of Lebanese security forces fanned out in central Beirut on Tuesday, ahead of a parliamentary session protesters have vowed to prevent as they demonstrate against the ruling elite. Banks reopened for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a weekly cap of $1,000 on withdrawals of hard currency and transfers abroad limited to urgent personal expenses, in moves to prevent capital flight. Lebanon is in serious political and economic crisis a month after nationwide protests began. There is no indication of its leaders agreeing on a new government to replace the outgoing cabinet of Saad al-Hariri, who quit as premier on October 29. Riot police scuffled with a group of protesters who were trying to use a cable to remove a barbed-wire barricade blocking a road near parliament, a Reuters witness said. The protests have been fuelled by perceptions of corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades and are blamed for leading the country into its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. "How are they holding a session and not responding to the people? Those (MPs) that are in the session have nothing to do with us, and it's not what we asked for," said a protester who gave her name as Maria. The parliamentary session was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for security considerations. The agenda includes a proposal for a general amnesty that could lead to the release of several thousand prisoners. However, with several large parties opposed to the law, it was not immediately clear if it would pass.

Lebanon deploys security forces in Beirut before parliamentary session

Among the destroyed buildings of&nbsp;Syria's&nbsp;Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of&nbsp;post-war reconstruction.

"The industrial city of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;thanks you for your visit," it reads.

Once the country's powerhouse,&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;was devastated by&nbsp;Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege.

As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction&nbsp;of the war-torn country.

Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in&nbsp;Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened.

At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs.

About a fifth of the workers recently returned to&nbsp;Aleppo.

"We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge.

"We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse.

But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery.

The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively.

The factory was under rebel control until&nbsp;Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting.&nbsp;

For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary.

But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five.

After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month.

Customers will return

Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life.

The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored.

Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise.

Among them,&nbsp;59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice.

"Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war.

The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years.

Things are a lot better&nbsp;we have electricity, water."

Russian pipes and cables

President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015.

After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;and is looking to rebuild with Russian support.

Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies.

Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of&nbsp;Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting.

But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin.

Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints.

And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued.

The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment.

The governor of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction. "The industrial city of Aleppo thanks you for your visit," it reads. Once the country's powerhouse, Aleppo was devastated by Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege. As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened. At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs. About a fifth of the workers recently returned to Aleppo. "We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge. "We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse. But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery. The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively. The factory was under rebel control until Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting. For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary. But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five. After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month. Customers will return Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life. The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored. Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise. Among them, 59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice. "Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war. The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years. Things are a lot better we have electricity, water." Russian pipes and cables President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015. After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of Syria and is looking to rebuild with Russian support. Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies. Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting. But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin. Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints. And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued. The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment. The governor of Aleppo province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

In Syria's Aleppo, reconstruction makes slow start

Air strikes maim, scar Yemen's children

A top U.N. official warned the Security Council on Tuesday, he said, 'Libya is on the verge of descending into a civil war, which could lead to the permanent division of the country. The damage already done will take years to mend. And that's only if the war is ended now." Watch this video to know more.

UN's warning comes amid rising violence in Tripoli

Attacks by two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jihadist-attacks-kill-17-syria-pro-regime-fighters-monitor-213864">jihadist groups</a> killed at least 22 Syrian government troops and militiamen in the northern province of Aleppo early on Saturday, a war monitor said.

Thirty others were wounded in the assaults by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and its ally Hurras al-Deen, which remains affiliated to the global jihadist network, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The attacks in the southern and southwestern countryside of Aleppo province were launched shortly after midnight and triggered clashes that continued until dawn, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

He said the fighting subsided after Russian aircraft struck jihadist positions in the area, prompting the fighters to pull back.

Eight jihadists were killed, he added.

Russia aircraft also carried out strikes in neighbouring Hama province early on Saturday, killing five civilians, the Observatory said.

On Friday, Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in Idlib province, the hub of territory held by the jihadists of HTS in northwestern Syria.

Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to avert a massive government offensive on the Idlib region, but the deal has never been implemented.

The region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since HTS took full control of it in January.

The latest Russian air raids came after two days of talks on the Syrian conflict between Turkey, Russia and fellow government backer Iran in Kazakhstan earlier this week.

The three governments expressed concern over the growing power of HTS in Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces, and determination to cooperate to eliminate the jihadist group.

The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it began with the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Attacks by two jihadist groups killed at least 22 Syrian government troops and militiamen in the northern province of Aleppo early on Saturday, a war monitor said.

Attacks by two jihadist groups killed at least 22 Syrian government troops and militiamen in the northern province of Aleppo early on Saturday, a war monitor said. Thirty others were wounded in the assaults by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and its ally Hurras al-Deen, which remains affiliated to the global jihadist network, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The attacks in the southern and southwestern countryside of Aleppo province were launched shortly after midnight and triggered clashes that continued until dawn, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. He said the fighting subsided after Russian aircraft struck jihadist positions in the area, prompting the fighters to pull back. Eight jihadists were killed, he added. Russia aircraft also carried out strikes in neighbouring Hama province early on Saturday, killing five civilians, the Observatory said. On Friday, Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in Idlib province, the hub of territory held by the jihadists of HTS in northwestern Syria. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to avert a massive government offensive on the Idlib region, but the deal has never been implemented. The region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since HTS took full control of it in January. The latest Russian air raids came after two days of talks on the Syrian conflict between Turkey, Russia and fellow government backer Iran in Kazakhstan earlier this week. The three governments expressed concern over the growing power of HTS in Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces, and determination to cooperate to eliminate the jihadist group. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it began with the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Jihadist attacks kill 22 Syria pro-regime fighters: Report

Nepal on Wednesday approved a third extension for commissions tasked with probing crimes committed during its decade-long civil war, promising changes to make the hamstrung bodies effective.

The commissions had initially been given two years in 2015 to probe abuses by government forces and Maoist rebels during the conflict that left 17,000 dead and others missing without a trace.

But even after four years and two extensions, their mandates were to expire on Saturday without resolving a single case.&nbsp;

A parliament meeting passed an amendment to the Transitional Justice Act that allowed a year's extension.

Law minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said in his parliament address that the terms of the commissions had to be extended to avoid a legal vacuum.

"The government understands that lawmakers are concerned the issues may not be resolved with the &nbsp;existing structure, working approach and speed of the two commissions... we are committed to finding a permanent solution," he said.

More than 65,000 complaints have been filed to the two commissions -- one investigating an estimated 3,000 forced disappearances and the other focusing on crimes such as rape and murder.

Critics say the truth and reconciliation process has been poorly designed from the outset and stymied by a lack of funding and political will.

The government has not granted the commissioners the legal powers necessary to prosecute war crimes, while a provision granting amnesty to perpetrators is still on the books.

"It is certain that the main objective of establishing these commissions will not be met unless the laws, mechanism and process is improved according to international standards," rights organisations said in a joint statement Wednesday.

Last month, the United Nations cautioned Nepal that it risked failing war crimes victims unless there was a broad public trust in the process, in a statement jointly signed by the US, Britain, France and Germany, among other nations.

"No government has been able to give us justice, but we still have to hope for a mechanism we can trust," Bhagiram Chaudhary, president of Conflict Victims' Common Platform, told AFP.

The fighting ended in 2006 with a peace deal between Maoist insurgents and government forces. Many former rebels now fill the political ranks of Nepal's ruling party.

Just two convictions related to civil war-era crimes have been handed down in civilian courts, one linked to the murder of a teenage girl and the other concerning the killing of a journalist.

Nepal on Wednesday approved a third extension for commissions tasked with probing crimes committed during its decade-long civil war, promising changes to make the hamstrung bodies effective.

Nepal on Wednesday approved a third extension for commissions tasked with probing crimes committed during its decade-long civil war, promising changes to make the hamstrung bodies effective. The commissions had initially been given two years in 2015 to probe abuses by government forces and Maoist rebels during the conflict that left 17,000 dead and others missing without a trace. But even after four years and two extensions, their mandates were to expire on Saturday without resolving a single case. A parliament meeting passed an amendment to the Transitional Justice Act that allowed a year's extension. Law minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said in his parliament address that the terms of the commissions had to be extended to avoid a legal vacuum. "The government understands that lawmakers are concerned the issues may not be resolved with the existing structure, working approach and speed of the two commissions... we are committed to finding a permanent solution," he said. More than 65,000 complaints have been filed to the two commissions -- one investigating an estimated 3,000 forced disappearances and the other focusing on crimes such as rape and murder. Critics say the truth and reconciliation process has been poorly designed from the outset and stymied by a lack of funding and political will. The government has not granted the commissioners the legal powers necessary to prosecute war crimes, while a provision granting amnesty to perpetrators is still on the books. "It is certain that the main objective of establishing these commissions will not be met unless the laws, mechanism and process is improved according to international standards," rights organisations said in a joint statement Wednesday. Last month, the United Nations cautioned Nepal that it risked failing war crimes victims unless there was a broad public trust in the process, in a statement jointly signed by the US, Britain, France and Germany, among other nations. "No government has been able to give us justice, but we still have to hope for a mechanism we can trust," Bhagiram Chaudhary, president of Conflict Victims' Common Platform, told AFP. The fighting ended in 2006 with a peace deal between Maoist insurgents and government forces. Many former rebels now fill the political ranks of Nepal's ruling party. Just two convictions related to civil war-era crimes have been handed down in civilian courts, one linked to the murder of a teenage girl and the other concerning the killing of a journalist.

Nepal extends deadline for war crimes investigations

Iraqi nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iranian-backed militia chief Hadi al-Amiri were set to lead talks&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;to form a government in Baghdad after announcing an alliance of their political blocs.

Sadr and Amiri's groupings won first and second place respectively in May's election, which has been beset by allegations of fraud and raised fears of bloodshed among Shi'ite paramilitary groups.

They announced the alliance in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, an apparent attempt to project unity among leaders of the Muslim sect that has dominated since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

A week ago, am explosion killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 90 in Sadr's Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City district, in what the interior ministry called "a terrorist aggression on civilians".

State television reported&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;that the Supreme Judicial Council had issued arrest warrants for 20 people in connection with the blast.

The Sadr-Amiri pact could ease fears of violence, which some have said could even spiral into intra-Shi'ite civil war.

Amiri, widely described as Tehran's man in Iraq, is one of the most powerful figures in the country.

Iraq, a key ally of the United States and major oil producer, has 150,000 heavily armed mostly Shi'ite paramilitary fighters operating alongside state forces - some of them more loyal to their commanders and Iran than to the Iraqi state.

Both Sadr and Iran seem to be taking a pragmatic approach as Iran seeks to maintain its deep influence in its most important Arab ally at a time when its wider Middle East interests are under threat.

Not only has US&nbsp;President Donald Trump pulled out of a global nuclear deal with Tehran and then embraced North Korea, increasing Iran's isolation Tehran's allies in Yemen are also facing a major offensive from a Saudi-led coalition that could mark a turning point in the war.

Sadr, who led violent campaigns against the US&nbsp;occupation that ended in 2011, has emerged as a nationalist opponent of powerful Shi’ite parties allied with neighbouring Iran, and as a champion of the poor.

Tehran has skilfully manipulated Iraqi politics in the past, and the cleric has to tread carefully.

But Sadr, who derives much of his legitimacy from his revered father, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq Sadr, assassinated in 1999 by Saddam's agents, is a formidable and unpredictable operator.

He also has street power, with a track record of mobilising tens of thousands of supporters to protest against opponents and government policies.

In the 2010 election, Vice President Ayad Allawi’s group won the largest number of seats, albeit with a narrow margin, but he was prevented from becoming prime minister.

He blamed Tehran, which manoeuvred Nuri al-Maliki into power, and Sadr helped to form a national unity government.

During the American occupation, Tehran was accused of arming Sadr's Mehdi Army militia with sophisticated bombs used in attacks on US-led coalition forces.

Tehran has accommodated him in the past he went into self-imposed exile in Iran in 2007.

Sadr and Amiri's groupings won first and second place respectively in May's election

Iraqi nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iranian-backed militia chief Hadi al-Amiri were set to lead talks on Wednesday to form a government in Baghdad after announcing an alliance of their political blocs. Sadr and Amiri's groupings won first and second place respectively in May's election, which has been beset by allegations of fraud and raised fears of bloodshed among Shi'ite paramilitary groups. They announced the alliance in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, an apparent attempt to project unity among leaders of the Muslim sect that has dominated since the fall of Saddam Hussein. A week ago, am explosion killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 90 in Sadr's Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City district, in what the interior ministry called "a terrorist aggression on civilians". State television reported on Wednesday that the Supreme Judicial Council had issued arrest warrants for 20 people in connection with the blast. The Sadr-Amiri pact could ease fears of violence, which some have said could even spiral into intra-Shi'ite civil war. Amiri, widely described as Tehran's man in Iraq, is one of the most powerful figures in the country. Iraq, a key ally of the United States and major oil producer, has 150,000 heavily armed mostly Shi'ite paramilitary fighters operating alongside state forces - some of them more loyal to their commanders and Iran than to the Iraqi state. Both Sadr and Iran seem to be taking a pragmatic approach as Iran seeks to maintain its deep influence in its most important Arab ally at a time when its wider Middle East interests are under threat. Not only has US President Donald Trump pulled out of a global nuclear deal with Tehran and then embraced North Korea, increasing Iran's isolation Tehran's allies in Yemen are also facing a major offensive from a Saudi-led coalition that could mark a turning point in the war. Sadr, who led violent campaigns against the US occupation that ended in 2011, has emerged as a nationalist opponent of powerful Shi’ite parties allied with neighbouring Iran, and as a champion of the poor. Tehran has skilfully manipulated Iraqi politics in the past, and the cleric has to tread carefully. But Sadr, who derives much of his legitimacy from his revered father, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq Sadr, assassinated in 1999 by Saddam's agents, is a formidable and unpredictable operator. He also has street power, with a track record of mobilising tens of thousands of supporters to protest against opponents and government policies. In the 2010 election, Vice President Ayad Allawi’s group won the largest number of seats, albeit with a narrow margin, but he was prevented from becoming prime minister. He blamed Tehran, which manoeuvred Nuri al-Maliki into power, and Sadr helped to form a national unity government. During the American occupation, Tehran was accused of arming Sadr's Mehdi Army militia with sophisticated bombs used in attacks on US-led coalition forces. Tehran has accommodated him in the past he went into self-imposed exile in Iran in 2007.

Iraq's Sadr and Amiri set to lead talks on new government

Nineteen people including 12 military personnel were injured on Wednesday in an explosion on a bus in Sri Lanka, said the military, adding they do not know the cause but suspect it may be a bomb or grenade.

Since the end of Sri Lanka&#39;s nearly three-decade civil war in 2009 there have been no targeted attacks on the military.

&quot;There had been an explosion in a passenger bus. There are some fragments on the body of the bus. We suspect it as a bomb blast,&quot; military spokesman Sumith Atapattu told Reuters.

&quot;The investigations underway to find out the details.&quot;

Atapattu said seven Army and five air force personnel along with seven civilians were injured in a fire following the explosion on the passenger bus which operated from northern Jaffna peninsula to central town of Diyathalawa, where one of the main military training centres is located.

Sri Lanka ended a 26-year separatist war in May 2009 defeating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who fought to carve out a separate state for ethnic minority Tamil&#39;s in the far north of the Indian Ocean island nation.

Tamil Tiger rebels commonly used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target civilians and military personnel during the civil war, which killed at least 100,000 people.

Seven Army and five air force personnel along with seven civilians were injured in the fire

Nineteen people including 12 military personnel were injured on Wednesday in an explosion on a bus in Sri Lanka, said the military, adding they do not know the cause but suspect it may be a bomb or grenade. Since the end of Sri Lanka's nearly three-decade civil war in 2009 there have been no targeted attacks on the military. "There had been an explosion in a passenger bus. There are some fragments on the body of the bus. We suspect it as a bomb blast," military spokesman Sumith Atapattu told Reuters. "The investigations underway to find out the details." Atapattu said seven Army and five air force personnel along with seven civilians were injured in a fire following the explosion on the passenger bus which operated from northern Jaffna peninsula to central town of Diyathalawa, where one of the main military training centres is located. Sri Lanka ended a 26-year separatist war in May 2009 defeating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who fought to carve out a separate state for ethnic minority Tamil's in the far north of the Indian Ocean island nation. Tamil Tiger rebels commonly used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target civilians and military personnel during the civil war, which killed at least 100,000 people.

Sri Lanka bus explosion injures 19, including 12 military personnel: Spokesman

Nepal&#39;s Communist parties were headed on Monday for a landslide win in elections, seen as a turning point after two decades of conflict, political instability and disaster that have crippled the Himalayan country.&nbsp;The landmark elections for national and provincial parliaments capped Nepal&#39;s 11-year transition from monarchy to federal democracy after a brutal civil war.

Many hope they will usher in a much-needed period of stability in the impoverished country, which has cycled through 10 prime ministers since 2006.&nbsp;An alliance of the main Communist party and the country&#39;s former Maoist rebels is expected to form the next government, ousting the ruling centrist Nepali Congress.

The Himalayan Times said the left alliance&#39;s strong mandate meant the country &quot;could experience political stability&quot;, which it has lacked over the last decade, but cautioned that a strong opposition was also crucial in the young democracy.&nbsp;With counting still going on, the leftist alliance has won 97 seats in the national parliament according to preliminary data from the election commission.

That puts them on course for a hefty majority in the country&#39;s first federal parliament, which comprises 275 seats, 110 of which are allocated on a proportional representation basis.&nbsp;They are also leading in six out of seven newly created provincial assemblies mandated in a new national constitution, which was finally agreed by parliament in 2015 in a rare moment of political consensus months after the country was devastated by a powerful earthquake.

The charter laid the ground for a sweeping overhaul of the political system to devolve power from the centre to seven newly-created provinces.&nbsp;It was intended to build on the promise of a more inclusive society integral to the peace deal that followed the end of the civil war between Maoists and the state in 2006.

But the constitution sparked deadly protests among ethnic minorities who said the provincial boundaries it laid out had been gerrymandered to limit their voice and demanded change.&nbsp;The Maoists and the Communist CPN-UML have often found themselves on opposite sides of parliament but formed an electoral alliance ahead of the polls.

The alliance campaigned on a promise to bring stability and growth to the impoverished Himalayan nation.&nbsp;Its victory returns many figures of the tumultuous transition period, including CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli, who is expected to be the new prime minister.&nbsp;Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a two-time former prime minister who led the rebel faction during the war, is also tipped for a prominent position in the next cabinet.

The newly-elected provincial assemblies will be tasked with naming their provinces, which are currently referred to by number, choosing a capital and negotiating budgets with Kathmandu -- all issues that could rekindle ethnic unrest.&nbsp;But the protest movements have lost momentum as voters have become fed up with the political merry-go-round that has starved the country of much-needed development.

Most voters voiced a desire for stability and a longer lasting government, while also expressing hope that the new provincial assemblies will prioritise local needs.&nbsp;The new constitution also lays out strict rules for ousting a prime minister, meaning this government could be the first to last a full five-year term.&nbsp;Final results are expected by the end of the week.

Nepal's federal parliament comprises of 275 seats, 110 of which are allocated on a proportional representation basis

Nepal's Communist parties were headed on Monday for a landslide win in elections, seen as a turning point after two decades of conflict, political instability and disaster that have crippled the Himalayan country. The landmark elections for national and provincial parliaments capped Nepal's 11-year transition from monarchy to federal democracy after a brutal civil war. Many hope they will usher in a much-needed period of stability in the impoverished country, which has cycled through 10 prime ministers since 2006. An alliance of the main Communist party and the country's former Maoist rebels is expected to form the next government, ousting the ruling centrist Nepali Congress. The Himalayan Times said the left alliance's strong mandate meant the country "could experience political stability", which it has lacked over the last decade, but cautioned that a strong opposition was also crucial in the young democracy. With counting still going on, the leftist alliance has won 97 seats in the national parliament according to preliminary data from the election commission. That puts them on course for a hefty majority in the country's first federal parliament, which comprises 275 seats, 110 of which are allocated on a proportional representation basis. They are also leading in six out of seven newly created provincial assemblies mandated in a new national constitution, which was finally agreed by parliament in 2015 in a rare moment of political consensus months after the country was devastated by a powerful earthquake. The charter laid the ground for a sweeping overhaul of the political system to devolve power from the centre to seven newly-created provinces. It was intended to build on the promise of a more inclusive society integral to the peace deal that followed the end of the civil war between Maoists and the state in 2006. But the constitution sparked deadly protests among ethnic minorities who said the provincial boundaries it laid out had been gerrymandered to limit their voice and demanded change. The Maoists and the Communist CPN-UML have often found themselves on opposite sides of parliament but formed an electoral alliance ahead of the polls. The alliance campaigned on a promise to bring stability and growth to the impoverished Himalayan nation. Its victory returns many figures of the tumultuous transition period, including CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli, who is expected to be the new prime minister. Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a two-time former prime minister who led the rebel faction during the war, is also tipped for a prominent position in the next cabinet. The newly-elected provincial assemblies will be tasked with naming their provinces, which are currently referred to by number, choosing a capital and negotiating budgets with Kathmandu -- all issues that could rekindle ethnic unrest. But the protest movements have lost momentum as voters have become fed up with the political merry-go-round that has starved the country of much-needed development. Most voters voiced a desire for stability and a longer lasting government, while also expressing hope that the new provincial assemblies will prioritise local needs. The new constitution also lays out strict rules for ousting a prime minister, meaning this government could be the first to last a full five-year term. Final results are expected by the end of the week.

Nepal's Communist parties poised for election landslide

&ldquo;The mother of all protests&rdquo; &ndash; that&rsquo;s what Venezuela&rsquo;s opposition movement called an enormous march last week, in which over a million citizens took to the streets to &ldquo;defend the homeland&rdquo; against President Nicol&aacute;s Maduro&rsquo;s increasingly authoritarian regime.

Protests alone rarely spur regime change. But without them &ndash; in Venezuela, as in many countries &ndash; political transition is impossible. And it is now evident that the wave of protests that has seized the country in recent weeks has had a significant impact on the evolution of Venezuela&rsquo;s political situation, even though some might wish to deny this.

The pro-democracy parties and movements that oppose the Maduro government have managed to shift the battleground for their political fight. They have taken it out of state institutions where their only support is in the legislature, which has long been neutered by administration-controlled institutions, such as the Supreme Court, and onto the streets.

The immense public show of anger was unexpected, and it has made for a more symmetrical conflict between the government and its opposition. But will the current demonstrations end differently than the 2014 protest movement or last year&rsquo;s failed attempt to remove the president via referendum?

The answer to this question largely depends on what position the Venezuelan military now takes.

Loosening grip

For many years, Venezuela&rsquo;s authoritarian regime had two advantages: Hugo Ch&aacute;vez&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/9911642/Hugo-Chavez-Venezuelans-mourn-death-of-charismatic-leader.html">charismatic leadership</a> and abundant <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/oil-made-venezuela-rich-and-now-its-making-it-poor/">oil income</a>, which allowed the government to finance clientelistic relations and foster support with vested interests.

Together, they enabled Ch&aacute;vez&rsquo;s United Socialist Party of Venezuela to <a href="http://www.psuv.org.ve/portada/hoy-se-cumplen-14-anos-primer-triunfo-electoral-comandante-chavez/#.WQj_IlKZNYc">triumph in almost every election</a> from 1998 to 2012. But Maduro, his chosen successor, has neither going for him. And he is now facing the collapse of the Ch&aacute;vez model and the impossibility of reestablishing his government&rsquo;s legitimacy electorally.

Ever since his party was defeated in legislative elections in December 2015, the president has relied on a complicit Supreme Court and National Election Council to avoid being removed via an opposition-supported recall referendum.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
At the protest in front of the Justice Palace <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Valencia?src=hash">#Valencia</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash">#Venezuela</a>. <a href="https://t.co/in03uhH7IU">pic.twitter.com/in03uhH7IU</a>
&mdash; Tito Zerpa Figarella (@tzerpaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/tzerpaf/status/859109187393122304">May 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Those government bodies have also enabled him to indefinitely postpone gubernatorial elections that, constitutionally speaking, should <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/04/08/523058318/opposition-parties-in-venezuela-prepare-for-elections-hoping-they-will-come">have taken place last year</a> (polls indicated that ruling party candidates would roundly lose).

Venezuela&rsquo;s situation is not unprecedented. Eventually, every authoritarian regime that has used elections to maintain power (Mexico&rsquo;s Partido Revolucionario Institucional is another Latin American example), reaches the point where, having lost political support, it has two choices: try to negotiate the consequences of an electoral defeat or seek to stay in power through the use of brute force.

If it chooses the latter, the government must depend principally on cooperation from the military. And this is the uncomfortable position in which Maduro now finds himself.

The generals in their labyrinth

But Venezuela&rsquo;s armed forces are facing their own dilemma: either maintain a neutral institutional role or support the regime in repressing its own people.

Authoritarian regimes that stay in power using violence are well aware of their dependency on the military, so they try to find ways to gain its commitment, including by incorporating the military into the government itself.

The practice of appointing generals into positions of power existed under Ch&aacute;vez, but it has increased markedly since Maduro&rsquo;s dubious election in 2013, which called into question the legitimacy of his government. And it&rsquo;s now difficult to distinguish between government and the military as a significant number of Maduro&rsquo;s cabinet members are active in the armed forces.

The military&rsquo;s commitment to its government can also be facilitated by incentivising or planning confrontations in which soldiers become personally responsible for violating the human rights of citizens. This tactic turns the army into a hostage of the status quo.

This quandary is the greatest asset of those who seek regime change in Venezuela today. The ongoing mass protests have actually shifted the balance of power toward the opposition, at least temporarily, because continuing to repress demonstrators will have an increasingly high cost for both the government and the military.

Protests aren&rsquo;t cost-free for the opposition, of course. Since this wave of demonstrations began in late March, <a href="http://noticieros.televisa.com/ultimas-noticias/internacional/2017-04-26/sube-29-cifra-muertos-durante-protestas-venezuela/">29 people have been killed</a>, along with a large (but undefined) number who have been wounded and arrested.

The main worry is not that this wave of protests will flicker out without producing yearned-for political change. It&rsquo;s that if it does fail, it will leave the battlefield negatively balanced, setting the opposition back and again reinforcing Maduro&rsquo;s power.

The challenge for Venezuela&rsquo;s generals at this point is to find a way out of this labyrinth that allows them to protect both their personal and professional interests, which do not always overlap.

Soldiers are accustomed to obeying orders but there&rsquo;s no guarantee that they will help implement illegitimate decisions, such as cracking down ever harder on protesters. And if commanders and troops refuse to pay the price for human rights violations by personally and absolutely implicating themselves in the status quo, then the military&rsquo;s bottom-heavy pyramid structure may well collapse along with the government.

At this point, following orders could prove costlier than disobedience for those in the army.

Playing with time

All this means continued demonstrations could actually spur political change in Venezuela.

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Today&#39;s protest against Maduro&#39;s Government in Caracas. Just minutes before the crowd was attacked by the military <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash">#Venezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/8h0xrW1EOC">pic.twitter.com/8h0xrW1EOC</a>
&mdash; Maria Alesia Sosa (@MariaAlesiaSosa) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaAlesiaSosa/status/857326071720669184">April 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Generally speaking, time works against protest movements. But repression works against governments because it creates a vicious cycle. When the government uses force against protesters it loses credibility. And the more credibility it loses, the more it relies on the use of force, which, in turn, spurs protesters to keep on marching.

The fact is that the Maduro regime&rsquo;s survival depends almost exclusively on whether the armed forces are willing to violently repress the Venezuelan people. And that decision depends on the cost-benefit analysis up and down the military chain of command as generals and soldiers alike weigh the pros and cons of their current dilemma.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/77080/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />They have to decide whether to maintain the status quo by using force or step back and allow change to happen in a less traumatic way. That is, after all, how democracy works.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-restless-venezuela-the-military-will-determine-how-long-maduros-regime-can-last-77080">original article</a>.

The county's armed forces are facing their own dilemma: either maintain a neutral institutional role or support the regime in repressing its own people

“The mother of all protests” – that’s what Venezuela’s opposition movement called an enormous march last week, in which over a million citizens took to the streets to “defend the homeland” against President Nicolás Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian regime. Protests alone rarely spur regime change. But without them – in Venezuela, as in many countries – political transition is impossible. And it is now evident that the wave of protests that has seized the country in recent weeks has had a significant impact on the evolution of Venezuela’s political situation, even though some might wish to deny this. The pro-democracy parties and movements that oppose the Maduro government have managed to shift the battleground for their political fight. They have taken it out of state institutions where their only support is in the legislature, which has long been neutered by administration-controlled institutions, such as the Supreme Court, and onto the streets. The immense public show of anger was unexpected, and it has made for a more symmetrical conflict between the government and its opposition. But will the current demonstrations end differently than the 2014 protest movement or last year’s failed attempt to remove the president via referendum? The answer to this question largely depends on what position the Venezuelan military now takes. Loosening grip For many years, Venezuela’s authoritarian regime had two advantages: Hugo Chávez’s charismatic leadership and abundant oil income, which allowed the government to finance clientelistic relations and foster support with vested interests. Together, they enabled Chávez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela to triumph in almost every election from 1998 to 2012. But Maduro, his chosen successor, has neither going for him. And he is now facing the collapse of the Chávez model and the impossibility of reestablishing his government’s legitimacy electorally. Ever since his party was defeated in legislative elections in December 2015, the president has relied on a complicit Supreme Court and National Election Council to avoid being removed via an opposition-supported recall referendum. At the protest in front of the Justice Palace #Valencia , #Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/in03uhH7IU — Tito Zerpa Figarella (@tzerpaf) May 1, 2017 × Those government bodies have also enabled him to indefinitely postpone gubernatorial elections that, constitutionally speaking, should have taken place last year (polls indicated that ruling party candidates would roundly lose). Venezuela’s situation is not unprecedented. Eventually, every authoritarian regime that has used elections to maintain power (Mexico’s Partido Revolucionario Institucional is another Latin American example), reaches the point where, having lost political support, it has two choices: try to negotiate the consequences of an electoral defeat or seek to stay in power through the use of brute force. If it chooses the latter, the government must depend principally on cooperation from the military. And this is the uncomfortable position in which Maduro now finds himself. The generals in their labyrinth But Venezuela’s armed forces are facing their own dilemma: either maintain a neutral institutional role or support the regime in repressing its own people. Authoritarian regimes that stay in power using violence are well aware of their dependency on the military, so they try to find ways to gain its commitment, including by incorporating the military into the government itself. The practice of appointing generals into positions of power existed under Chávez, but it has increased markedly since Maduro’s dubious election in 2013, which called into question the legitimacy of his government. And it’s now difficult to distinguish between government and the military as a significant number of Maduro’s cabinet members are active in the armed forces. The military’s commitment to its government can also be facilitated by incentivising or planning confrontations in which soldiers become personally responsible for violating the human rights of citizens. This tactic turns the army into a hostage of the status quo. This quandary is the greatest asset of those who seek regime change in Venezuela today. The ongoing mass protests have actually shifted the balance of power toward the opposition, at least temporarily, because continuing to repress demonstrators will have an increasingly high cost for both the government and the military. Protests aren’t cost-free for the opposition, of course. Since this wave of demonstrations began in late March, 29 people have been killed, along with a large (but undefined) number who have been wounded and arrested. The main worry is not that this wave of protests will flicker out without producing yearned-for political change. It’s that if it does fail, it will leave the battlefield negatively balanced, setting the opposition back and again reinforcing Maduro’s power. The challenge for Venezuela’s generals at this point is to find a way out of this labyrinth that allows them to protect both their personal and professional interests, which do not always overlap. Soldiers are accustomed to obeying orders but there’s no guarantee that they will help implement illegitimate decisions, such as cracking down ever harder on protesters. And if commanders and troops refuse to pay the price for human rights violations by personally and absolutely implicating themselves in the status quo, then the military’s bottom-heavy pyramid structure may well collapse along with the government. At this point, following orders could prove costlier than disobedience for those in the army. Playing with time All this means continued demonstrations could actually spur political change in Venezuela. Today's protest against Maduro's Government in Caracas. Just minutes before the crowd was attacked by the military #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/8h0xrW1EOC — Maria Alesia Sosa (@MariaAlesiaSosa) April 26, 2017 × Generally speaking, time works against protest movements. But repression works against governments because it creates a vicious cycle. When the government uses force against protesters it loses credibility. And the more credibility it loses, the more it relies on the use of force, which, in turn, spurs protesters to keep on marching. The fact is that the Maduro regime’s survival depends almost exclusively on whether the armed forces are willing to violently repress the Venezuelan people. And that decision depends on the cost-benefit analysis up and down the military chain of command as generals and soldiers alike weigh the pros and cons of their current dilemma. They have to decide whether to maintain the status quo by using force or step back and allow change to happen in a less traumatic way. That is, after all, how democracy works. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

In restless Venezuela, the military will determine how long Maduro?s regime can last

A confidential UN report is warning that the war in South Sudan has reached &quot;catastrophic proportions for civilians&quot; and the rise of militias risks spinning out of control, fueling fighting for years to come.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report obtained by AFP on Tuesday that civilians were fleeing villages and towns &quot;in record numbers&quot; and that the danger of mass atrocities &quot;is real&quot;.

The stark warning followed a series of meetings that Guterres held with regional leaders and South Sudan&#39;s President Salva Kiir last month to push for an end to the three-year war.&nbsp;

&quot;The security situation continues to deteriorate in parts of the country and the consequent impact of this ongoing conflict and violence, has reached catastrophic proportions for civilians,&quot; Guterres wrote.

Heavy-handed military operations by all parties, but especially by government forces loyal to Kiir, were &quot;daily destroying homes and livelihoods,&quot; said the report sent to the Security Council on Monday.

&quot;The rise of militias under the loose command of the SPLA or rebel commanders is spreading the fragmentation and dislocation of its territories, which risk, if this trend continues, remaining out of any government control for years to come,&quot; said the report.

Guterres has been pushing regional leaders like Uganda&#39;s President Yoweri Museveni, who is close to Kiir, to put pressure on the South Sudanese leader to rein in his forces and pull back from the brink.

The UN chief urged the Security Council to take action to revive political talks to convince rebels to stop fighting and give the government legitimacy to seek international financial aid. The United Nations has 13,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan, but they have repeatedly been blocked by government soldiers and rebels from areas where fighting has flared.

Last week, a peacekeeper on patrol in Eastern Equatoria was stopped by four soldiers, dragged out of his car and beaten, the report said.

Following his meeting with Kiir, Guterres reported progress on deploying a regional force under UN command to bolster security in the capital Juba.

Rwanda is poised to send troops and helicopters in a first wave of deployment expected in March or April while Ethiopia is also preparing to contribute forces.

But Kenya has yet to schedule talks on their contribution to the 4,000-strong force and a dispute over the force`s presence at the Juba airport is unresolved, the report said.&nbsp;

South Sudan remains a divisive issue at the Security Council after the United States failed in December to win support for an arms embargo and sanctions.

Russia, China, Japan and Egypt were among the countries that voted against a US-drafted resolution, arguing that punitive action would antagonize South Sudan`s leaders and further dampen prospects for peace.

Council diplomats point to the success by West African leaders in pushing Gambia`s leader Yahya Jammeh to abide by election results and cede power as proof that regional pressure can achieve results.

After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than three million people displaced.

There is growing alarm over the humanitarian crisis in the country where more than six million people -- half of South Sudan`s population -- are in need of urgent aid.

(AFP)

The stark warning followed a series of meetings that Guterres held with regional leaders and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir last month

A confidential UN report is warning that the war in South Sudan has reached "catastrophic proportions for civilians" and the rise of militias risks spinning out of control, fueling fighting for years to come. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report obtained by AFP on Tuesday that civilians were fleeing villages and towns "in record numbers" and that the danger of mass atrocities "is real". The stark warning followed a series of meetings that Guterres held with regional leaders and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir last month to push for an end to the three-year war. "The security situation continues to deteriorate in parts of the country and the consequent impact of this ongoing conflict and violence, has reached catastrophic proportions for civilians," Guterres wrote. Heavy-handed military operations by all parties, but especially by government forces loyal to Kiir, were "daily destroying homes and livelihoods," said the report sent to the Security Council on Monday. "The rise of militias under the loose command of the SPLA or rebel commanders is spreading the fragmentation and dislocation of its territories, which risk, if this trend continues, remaining out of any government control for years to come," said the report. Guterres has been pushing regional leaders like Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who is close to Kiir, to put pressure on the South Sudanese leader to rein in his forces and pull back from the brink. The UN chief urged the Security Council to take action to revive political talks to convince rebels to stop fighting and give the government legitimacy to seek international financial aid. The United Nations has 13,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan, but they have repeatedly been blocked by government soldiers and rebels from areas where fighting has flared. Last week, a peacekeeper on patrol in Eastern Equatoria was stopped by four soldiers, dragged out of his car and beaten, the report said. Following his meeting with Kiir, Guterres reported progress on deploying a regional force under UN command to bolster security in the capital Juba. Rwanda is poised to send troops and helicopters in a first wave of deployment expected in March or April while Ethiopia is also preparing to contribute forces. But Kenya has yet to schedule talks on their contribution to the 4,000-strong force and a dispute over the force`s presence at the Juba airport is unresolved, the report said. South Sudan remains a divisive issue at the Security Council after the United States failed in December to win support for an arms embargo and sanctions. Russia, China, Japan and Egypt were among the countries that voted against a US-drafted resolution, arguing that punitive action would antagonize South Sudan`s leaders and further dampen prospects for peace. Council diplomats point to the success by West African leaders in pushing Gambia`s leader Yahya Jammeh to abide by election results and cede power as proof that regional pressure can achieve results. After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than three million people displaced. There is growing alarm over the humanitarian crisis in the country where more than six million people -- half of South Sudan`s population -- are in need of urgent aid. (AFP)

South Sudan civil war reaches 'catastrophic proportions for civilians': UN

Sri Lanka should bring in international prosecutors and judges to help investigate alleged atrocities in the civil war that ended in 2009, a task force said on Thursday in recommendations that were welcomed by the United Nations.

The Consultation Task Force (CTF), appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said foreign involvement was needed because of a lack of confidence in the local judiciary, which it said did not have the expertise and capacity to prosecute war crimes.

However, President Maithripala Sirisena opposes the involvement of foreign judges, and cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senarathne said on Wednesday the government had clearly told the UN&nbsp;that it would not allow them.

The war crimes issue is highly divisive, seven years after the end of the 26-year conflict between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN&nbsp;and rights groups have accused the military of killing thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, during its final weeks.

The office of UN&nbsp;human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said on Twitter that he welcomed the CTF&#39;&nbsp;recommendations, especially its &quot;clear backing of a hybrid court&quot; with local and foreign judges.

The opposition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president when the government finally defeated the LTTE, has held out against foreign judicial involvement and said his successor is betraying the military for a &quot;Western agenda&quot;.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is the main political party representing Tamils and backed Sirisena in the 2015 presidential election, has demanded foreign judges be brought in, as most similar investigations in the past have failed to prosecute wrongdoers.&nbsp;

The Tamil Tigers were also accused of widespread abuses during the war, such as using child soldiers and targeting civilians with suicide bombers, including an attack on the central bank in 1996 which killed nearly 100 people.

The UN&nbsp;launched a probe in 2014 into war crimes allegedly committed by both Sri Lankan state forces and Tamil rebels, saying the government had failed to investigate properly.

But&nbsp;Rajapaksa&#39;s government resisted the probe and denied UN&nbsp;officials entry to the island nation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Team appointed by PM?Wickremesinghe suggests foreign involvement to probe war crimes in the civil war that ended in 2009, President opposes

Sri Lanka should bring in international prosecutors and judges to help investigate alleged atrocities in the civil war that ended in 2009, a task force said on Thursday in recommendations that were welcomed by the United Nations. The Consultation Task Force (CTF), appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said foreign involvement was needed because of a lack of confidence in the local judiciary, which it said did not have the expertise and capacity to prosecute war crimes. However, President Maithripala Sirisena opposes the involvement of foreign judges, and cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senarathne said on Wednesday the government had clearly told the UN that it would not allow them. The war crimes issue is highly divisive, seven years after the end of the 26-year conflict between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN and rights groups have accused the military of killing thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, during its final weeks. The office of UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said on Twitter that he welcomed the CTF' recommendations, especially its "clear backing of a hybrid court" with local and foreign judges. The opposition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president when the government finally defeated the LTTE, has held out against foreign judicial involvement and said his successor is betraying the military for a "Western agenda". The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is the main political party representing Tamils and backed Sirisena in the 2015 presidential election, has demanded foreign judges be brought in, as most similar investigations in the past have failed to prosecute wrongdoers. The Tamil Tigers were also accused of widespread abuses during the war, such as using child soldiers and targeting civilians with suicide bombers, including an attack on the central bank in 1996 which killed nearly 100 people. The UN launched a probe in 2014 into war crimes allegedly committed by both Sri Lankan state forces and Tamil rebels, saying the government had failed to investigate properly. But Rajapaksa's government resisted the probe and denied UN officials entry to the island nation. (Reuters)

Divide in Sri Lanka as panel backs foreign judges to probe war crimes

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today vowed to achieve reconciliation in the country, even as former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa warned the government against any steps endangering the unitary character of the state.

Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe renewed hope for reconciliation and economic development to be achieved by the unity government which marks its second anniversary next week.

Sirisena in his new year message called for brotherhood and unity among all communities to achieve reconciliation following the end of the nearly three decades-long civil war in 2009.

Wickremesinghe said despite efforts to break up the national unity government, it would not waver in its commitment to install good governance, democracy and economic prosperity.

Former President Rajapaksa, in his New Year message, warned against any action that endangers the unitary character of the state and its territorial integrity.

His remarks were in reference to the government&#39;s efforts to introduce a new Constitution which is expected to grant some form of political autonomy to the minority Tamil community.

The new Constitution is expected to be adopted this year after a nationwide referendum.

The main opposition leader R Sampanthan echoed the Tamil wishes in his message, saying &quot;2017 will be a crucial year in the history of our country&quot;.

&quot;Our expectation, is that we should find a permanent and lasting solution to the national question. The new Constitution in the New Year, should bring about this achievement,&quot; he said.

The government expects the new Constitution to address the demand of Tamil minorities for political recognition.

With the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009 the Tamil groups have opted for maximum devolution as opposed to LTTE&#39;s goal of a separate Tamil homeland.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

A new Constitution, expected to grant some form of political autonomy to Tamil minority, could be adopted this year after a referendum

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today vowed to achieve reconciliation in the country, even as former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa warned the government against any steps endangering the unitary character of the state. Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe renewed hope for reconciliation and economic development to be achieved by the unity government which marks its second anniversary next week. Sirisena in his new year message called for brotherhood and unity among all communities to achieve reconciliation following the end of the nearly three decades-long civil war in 2009. Wickremesinghe said despite efforts to break up the national unity government, it would not waver in its commitment to install good governance, democracy and economic prosperity. Former President Rajapaksa, in his New Year message, warned against any action that endangers the unitary character of the state and its territorial integrity. His remarks were in reference to the government's efforts to introduce a new Constitution which is expected to grant some form of political autonomy to the minority Tamil community. The new Constitution is expected to be adopted this year after a nationwide referendum. The main opposition leader R Sampanthan echoed the Tamil wishes in his message, saying "2017 will be a crucial year in the history of our country". "Our expectation, is that we should find a permanent and lasting solution to the national question. The new Constitution in the New Year, should bring about this achievement," he said. The government expects the new Constitution to address the demand of Tamil minorities for political recognition. With the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009 the Tamil groups have opted for maximum devolution as opposed to LTTE's goal of a separate Tamil homeland. (PTI)

Sri Lanka: President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe vow reconciliation

Around 35 civilians were killed as Turkish warplanes and artillery struck areas held by Kurdish YPG (people protection units) militia in north Syria on Sunday, said reports. 
 
Turkey is involved in a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies and says that its campaign is against the Islamic State while attempting to stop Kurdish forces from extending their control in other territories. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that Turkish warplanes had struck areas north of Manbij, a city south of Jarablus captured by Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces this month in a US-backed operation. 
 
&nbsp;25 Kurdish militants were killed in its air strikes.&nbsp; 
 
Turkish officials say their goal in Syria is as much about ensuring Kurdish forces do not expand the territory they already control along Turkey&#39;s border as it is about driving Islamic State from its strongholds. 
 
The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group with a network of sources in Syria, said Turkish-allied forces had seized at least two villages south of Jarablus, Jub al-Kousa and al-Amarna, that were held by militias loyal to the SDF. 
 
The fighting killed 20 civilians in Jub al-Kousa and 15 in al-Amarna, while scores more were wounded, the group said. 
 
Ankara wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of an unbroken swathe of Syrian territory on Turkey&#39;s frontier, which it fears could embolden the Kurdish PKK militant group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Turkey last week launched a cross-border campaign with its Syrian rebel allies against the Islamic State

Around 35 civilians were killed as Turkish warplanes and artillery struck areas held by Kurdish YPG (people protection units) militia in north Syria on Sunday, said reports. Turkey is involved in a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies and says that its campaign is against the Islamic State while attempting to stop Kurdish forces from extending their control in other territories. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that Turkish warplanes had struck areas north of Manbij, a city south of Jarablus captured by Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces this month in a US-backed operation. 25 Kurdish militants were killed in its air strikes. Turkish officials say their goal in Syria is as much about ensuring Kurdish forces do not expand the territory they already control along Turkey's border as it is about driving Islamic State from its strongholds. The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group with a network of sources in Syria, said Turkish-allied forces had seized at least two villages south of Jarablus, Jub al-Kousa and al-Amarna, that were held by militias loyal to the SDF. The fighting killed 20 civilians in Jub al-Kousa and 15 in al-Amarna, while scores more were wounded, the group said. Ankara wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of an unbroken swathe of Syrian territory on Turkey's frontier, which it fears could embolden the Kurdish PKK militant group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

At least 35 civilians killed as Turkish warplanes hit north Syria

Thousands of rebels and civilians prepared to evacuate the Syrian town of Daraya today ahead of its takeover by government forces. &nbsp;Ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles reached the town to aid evacuation. 
 
Ending one of the longest standoffs in the five-year conflict, rebels and Syria&#39;s army agreed a deal on Thursday to evacuate all residents and insurgents. The town, situated near the capital Damascus and the government&#39;s Mazzeh air&nbsp;base, has been under rebel control since 2012. 
 
Meanwhile, the agreement to evacuate residents is being seen as a defeat for the opposition&nbsp;forces. 
 
Evacuation could take up to four days&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Seven hundred armed men with their personal weapons will leave Daraya to&nbsp;head to the (rebel-controlled) city of Idlib, while thousands of men and women&nbsp;with their families will be taken to reception centres,&quot; Syrian State News&nbsp;Agency SANA reported. 
 
Around 8,000 people have been living in the town, despite a four-year-long&nbsp;government siege and frequent bombardments. 
 
The rebels, belonging to Ajnad al-Sham and the Martyrs of Islam, will have to&nbsp;surrender their armaments to the army. 
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<h5>According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 live under siege across Syria,&nbsp;owing to government forces, rebels and Islamists.</h5>
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The entire evacuation could take up to four days. 
 
&quot;The civilians will go to regions under regime control around Damascus,&nbsp;rebels will go to Idlib &quot;or sort out their situation with the regime&quot;, a rebel&nbsp;official told AFP news agency.&nbsp; 
 
Only one humanitarian food aid convoy has entered Daraya since government&nbsp;forces began their siege of the town in late 2012. 
 
A UN aid convoy carrying medicine but no food had entered earlier. 
 
According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 live under siege across Syria,&nbsp;owing to government forces, rebels and Islamists. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Ending one of the longest standoffs in the five-year conflict, rebels and Syria's army agreed a deal on Thursday to evacuate all residents

Thousands of rebels and civilians prepared to evacuate the Syrian town of Daraya today ahead of its takeover by government forces. Ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles reached the town to aid evacuation. Ending one of the longest standoffs in the five-year conflict, rebels and Syria's army agreed a deal on Thursday to evacuate all residents and insurgents. The town, situated near the capital Damascus and the government's Mazzeh air base, has been under rebel control since 2012. Meanwhile, the agreement to evacuate residents is being seen as a defeat for the opposition forces. Evacuation could take up to four days "Seven hundred armed men with their personal weapons will leave Daraya to head to the (rebel-controlled) city of Idlib, while thousands of men and women with their families will be taken to reception centres," Syrian State News Agency SANA reported. Around 8,000 people have been living in the town, despite a four-year-long government siege and frequent bombardments. The rebels, belonging to Ajnad al-Sham and the Martyrs of Islam, will have to surrender their armaments to the army. According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 live under siege across Syria, owing to government forces, rebels and Islamists. The entire evacuation could take up to four days. "The civilians will go to regions under regime control around Damascus, rebels will go to Idlib "or sort out their situation with the regime", a rebel official told AFP news agency. Only one humanitarian food aid convoy has entered Daraya since government forces began their siege of the town in late 2012. A UN aid convoy carrying medicine but no food had entered earlier. According to the United Nations, nearly 600,000 live under siege across Syria, owing to government forces, rebels and Islamists. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Rebels, civilians prepare to evacuate Syrian town of Daraya under deal

India&#39;s Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar, arrived in Damascus on Friday (August 19) for a two-day visit amid an escalation in the country&#39;s civil war. 
 
Akbar, who arrived via Lebanon, is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday (August 20). 
 
The main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition on Friday cautiously welcomed a proposal for a weekly pause in fighting in Aleppo to allow aid to reach besieged areas, provided it was monitored by the United Nations. 
 
International concern has mounted over the fate of up to two million civilians in the city amid an intensification of fighting, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that the situation was &quot;inhumane, awful, disgusting, nightmarish&quot;. 
 
Russia, Syrian President Assad&#39;s most powerful military ally, said on Thursday (August 18) it supported a long-standing U.N. call for a 48-hour truce each week in the city, and that it was ready to start the first one next week. Syria&#39;s government has not yet commented on the idea. 
 
Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels who have been battling to oust him in western Syria with support from countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States. 
 
Akbar&#39;s arrival in Damascus came the same day as India&#39;s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in New Delhi. 
 
(Reuters)

The minister is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday

India's Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar, arrived in Damascus on Friday (August 19) for a two-day visit amid an escalation in the country's civil war. Akbar, who arrived via Lebanon, is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday (August 20). The main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition on Friday cautiously welcomed a proposal for a weekly pause in fighting in Aleppo to allow aid to reach besieged areas, provided it was monitored by the United Nations. International concern has mounted over the fate of up to two million civilians in the city amid an intensification of fighting, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that the situation was "inhumane, awful, disgusting, nightmarish". Russia, Syrian President Assad's most powerful military ally, said on Thursday (August 18) it supported a long-standing U.N. call for a 48-hour truce each week in the city, and that it was ready to start the first one next week. Syria's government has not yet commented on the idea. Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels who have been battling to oust him in western Syria with support from countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Akbar's arrival in Damascus came the same day as India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in New Delhi. (Reuters)

India's Minister of State for External Affairs visits Syria

Sporadic clashes hit the southern edges of the Syrian capital, Aleppo today morning, a monitoring group said, hours after rebels said they had broken a three-week government siege of the Syrian city. 
 
An alliance of rebels, Islamists, and jihadists late yesterday said they had opened a new route into Aleppo&#39;s eastern neighbourhoods, home to some 250,000 people.&nbsp;But the road, which passes through southern edges of the city, remains too dangerous for civilians to use, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today. 
 
&quot;There are intermittent clashes and air strikes, but to a lesser degree,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.&nbsp;&quot;Not a single civilian has left the eastern districts because the road is too dangerous and not secured.&quot; 
 
On Saturday, anti-regime groups overran a series of buildings in a military academy on the southwestern edges of Aleppo.&nbsp;They then pushed northeast into the district of Ramussa, linking up with rebel groups that had fought south from inside the city. 
 
Rebels posted footage of their fighters embracing and celebrating the end of the government encirclement of Aleppo, in place since July 17. 
 
An AFP journalist in the eastern districts said a single truck of vegetables entered the neighbourhoods late Saturday to be sold in the markets the following day. 
 
Syrian state media, however, denied that the siege had been broken and said the fight was ongoing. 
 
&quot;The terrorist groups are suffering huge losses and were not able to break the encirclement of the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo,&quot; state news agency SANA said late yesterday, quoting a military source. 
 
&quot;The Syrian army in coordination with allied forces are continuing their fight south of Aleppo,&quot; it said. 
 
The agency said 10 civilians were killed on Saturday in rebel shelling on two government-held districts. 
 
The Britain-based Observatory said at least 130 civilians have been killed since the opposition alliance launched its offensive on southern Aleppo on July 31. 
 
The monitor said more than 700 fighters from both sides had been killed in the onslaught, most of them rebels because of the regime&#39;s &quot;aerial superiority.&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
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The rebels said they had opened a new route into Aleppo but rights observers warned it is still too dangerous for use by civilians

Sporadic clashes hit the southern edges of the Syrian capital, Aleppo today morning, a monitoring group said, hours after rebels said they had broken a three-week government siege of the Syrian city. An alliance of rebels, Islamists, and jihadists late yesterday said they had opened a new route into Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods, home to some 250,000 people. But the road, which passes through southern edges of the city, remains too dangerous for civilians to use, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today. "There are intermittent clashes and air strikes, but to a lesser degree," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "Not a single civilian has left the eastern districts because the road is too dangerous and not secured." On Saturday, anti-regime groups overran a series of buildings in a military academy on the southwestern edges of Aleppo. They then pushed northeast into the district of Ramussa, linking up with rebel groups that had fought south from inside the city. Rebels posted footage of their fighters embracing and celebrating the end of the government encirclement of Aleppo, in place since July 17. An AFP journalist in the eastern districts said a single truck of vegetables entered the neighbourhoods late Saturday to be sold in the markets the following day. Syrian state media, however, denied that the siege had been broken and said the fight was ongoing. "The terrorist groups are suffering huge losses and were not able to break the encirclement of the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo," state news agency SANA said late yesterday, quoting a military source. "The Syrian army in coordination with allied forces are continuing their fight south of Aleppo," it said. The agency said 10 civilians were killed on Saturday in rebel shelling on two government-held districts. The Britain-based Observatory said at least 130 civilians have been killed since the opposition alliance launched its offensive on southern Aleppo on July 31. The monitor said more than 700 fighters from both sides had been killed in the onslaught, most of them rebels because of the regime's "aerial superiority." (AFP)

Clashes erupt in Syrian capital after rebels claim end of government siege

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world&#39;s youngest country could slide back into war. 
 
Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. 
 
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act &quot;urgently&quot; to save it &quot;and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat&quot;. 
 
The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. 
 
&quot;Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan,&quot; said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If this situation isn&#39;t salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war&quot; that preceded secession, Deng said. 
 
Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. 
 
&quot;The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem,&quot; said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. 
 
After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. 
 
Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. 
 
Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir.&nbsp;Yet fighting continues. 
 
Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. 
 
&quot;We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter,&quot; Yawa said. &quot;What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict.&quot; 
 
In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country&#39;s second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. 
 
The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. 
 
&quot;Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict,&quot; ICG said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses.&quot; 
 
The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. 
 
Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, &quot;the pride, the spirit, the hope&quot;, when he witnessed the raising of the new country&#39;s flag at independence. 
 
Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how &quot;that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people&quot; in a speech citing &quot;massive human rights violations and epic corruption&quot;. The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. 
 
&quot;A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations,&quot; said Oxfam&#39;s country chief Zlatko Gegic. &quot;South Sudan&#39;s economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised.&quot; 
 
A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . 
 
&quot;We are just living in problems and nothing is good,&quot; said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. &quot;We are just here by God&#39;s grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?&quot; 
 
More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. 
 
South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. 
 
&quot;I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened,&quot; Deng said. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

With soaring casualties in the civil war, inflation and a massive food emergency, the world's youngest nation struggles to stand on its feet

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world's youngest country could slide back into war. Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act "urgently" to save it "and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat". The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. "Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan," said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces. "If this situation isn't salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war" that preceded secession, Deng said. Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. "The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem," said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir. Yet fighting continues. Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. "We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter," Yawa said. "What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict." In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country's second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. "Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict," ICG said. "Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses." The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, "the pride, the spirit, the hope", when he witnessed the raising of the new country's flag at independence. Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how "that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people" in a speech citing "massive human rights violations and epic corruption". The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. "A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations," said Oxfam's country chief Zlatko Gegic. "South Sudan's economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised." A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . "We are just living in problems and nothing is good," said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. "We are just here by God's grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?" More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. "I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened," Deng said. "That's not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed." (AFP)

Little to celebrate as South Sudan turns five

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