Ready to help with Syria ceasefire: Assad tells Putin

Feb 29, 2016, 21:19

Kerry's comments come one day after the USA and Russian Federation pitched a plan to implement a cease-fire in Syria.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women Protection Units (YPJ) are simultaneously fighting various Islamist groups as part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin phoned Assad on Wednesday, in which both leaders discussed the current situation in Syria in light of the agreed upon ceasefire, according to SANA.

On Saturday, Assad said that countries would have to agree to cut off support for rebel fighters in his country's deadly civil war before he would agree to a cease-fire. "We are very cautious about raising expectations on this", he said.

The ceasefire deal excludes the so-called Islamic State and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, which can still be targeted.

Syria's opposition indicated on Wednesday it was ready for a two-week truce to test the seriousness of the other side's commitment to a U.S.-Russian plan for a cessation of hostilities.

The US Department of State issued a joint statement made by the US, Russia and other countries of the International Syria Support Group Feb. 22. Golani used a derogatory term to refer to Shiite Muslims.

Leicester forges ahead, Chelsea, West Ham win
On the other hand, Norwich City are in crisis mode, having only picked up one point in their last six league games. Ranieri said: "He felt something to his hamstring". "I told my players that it will be a big battle on Saturday".

Syria's warring parties have until midday Friday to say if they are participating in the cessation of hostilities that is due to begin 12 hours later.

A key element of the cease-fire deal is humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he feared the ceasefire plan would do little more than benefit Assad.

The U.S. wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad removed from power.

Russian warplanes have hit Islamic State but have mostly targeted other rebel groups including Western-backed insurgents.

Lt.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, of the General Staff, said that while Russian Federation will continue air strikes against IS and the Nusra Front, Moscow is keeping its aircraft on the ground for now "to avoid any possible mistakes". It added that it has formed a military committee to follow up on the truce.

Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said there was a provisional agreement on a temporary truce in Syria, the pro-opposition Orient TV reported on Monday. Also unresolved are how breaches in the truce would be dealt with.

Body of 2nd missing canoer found in Donner Lake
While ambient temperatures were relatively warm, the wind chill drove outside temperatures down making search conditions hard . The victims reportedly were visiting the Truckee area and staying along Donner Lake at a cabin.

The agreement brokered between the two superpowers has been given an added urgency by destructive bombings in Homs and Damascus that killed more than 150 people and wounded more than 200. It called on the Syrian government to end disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks. But the report did not provide further details.

Sergey Lavrov voiced hope Thursday that the White House will respect the deal envisaging the cease-fire to take effect at midnight Friday local time.

The group is also present in the strategically important Qalamoun mountains north-east of Damascus, where it has clashed with al-Nusra.

"Certainly there are differences", Peskov said.

Syria's state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces have captured several villages from Islamic State extremists in the northern province of Aleppo.

Amid the diplomatic blitz a senior Assad political adviser, Busseina Shaaban, has arrived in Moscow, a spokesman for Vitaly Naumkin, a Russian academic who has taken part in talks on the Syrian crisis, told AFP. "The U.S. has informed us and has received our opinion".

Kansas town grieves shooting with 'Hesston Hustler Strong'
An affidavit filed in the case alleges that Hopkins knew Ford was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He is chief financial officer of a machine manufacturing company in nearby Moundridge, and she is an elementary school teacher.