Kremlin cautions against expecting progress on first day of Geneva talks
The Kremlin has sought to lower expectations ahead of the latest round of Ukraine peace talks in Geneva, saying no announcements should be expected on...
At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday during fighting in Aleppo, northern Syria, state media reported. The government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are trading blame for the violence.
The clashes are the latest to break out in Aleppo as officials scramble to advance a deal to address Syria's deepest remaining fracture by merging the U.S.-backed SDF with the central government.
The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won during 14 years of war, which left it with control of Islamic State prisons and oil resources in a country that remains fragile just over a year after the ouster of ex-President Bashar al-Assad.
Analysts warn that failing to integrate the SDF into Syria’s army could spark further violence and potentially draw in Türkiye, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it considers “terrorists.”
State news agency SANA reported that three of the dead were civilians, while the fourth was a soldier. The Syrian Ministry of Defence accused the SDF of attacking army positions and residential areas in Aleppo, while the SDF denied responsibility, claiming the casualties were caused by indiscriminate artillery and missile fire from factions aligned with the Damascus government.
Local official Nuri Sheikho told that clashes resumed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods after a brief pause, with communication ongoing with the Damascus government to halt the violence. He said residents were fearful of widespread killings and accused the government of using rockets, artillery shells, and tanks.
Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib told state-owned Ekhbariya TV that schools, universities, and government offices would suspend all activities on Wednesday due to the situation.
The agreement to integrate Kurdish forces was meant to be implemented by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with each side accusing the other of stalling or acting in bad faith.
Syrian government forces and the SDF had agreed to de-escalate tensions following clashes in late December.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Norway is holding a commanding lead in the medal standings with 12 golds and a total of 26, with Italy having an historic performance on home soil on the ninth day of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (15 February).
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The Somali Army carried out a targeted airstrike in southern Somalia, killing 15 al-Shabaab militants, the country’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
The Kremlin has sought to lower expectations ahead of the latest round of Ukraine peace talks in Geneva, saying no announcements should be expected on Tuesday as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday (17 February), marking an important political shift in the South Asian nation following a period of turmoil.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has described the second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States as a "good start" as negotiations concluded on Tuesday (17 February) at the Omani consulate in Geneva.
Spain’s government has instructed prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok over the alleged creation and dissemination of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
Jesse Jackson, one of the most prominent figures of the modern American civil rights movement and a two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, has died at the age of 84, his family has announced.
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