Syria

Key points:

• The World Health Organization expects to see a jump in deaths following the deadly earthquake
• In Türkiye, people took refuge in shopping centres, stadiums and community centres
• Syria has endured nearly 12 years of civil war which has devastated much of the country

The World Health Organization (WHO) expects a significant jump in the death toll as rescuers search through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by Syria's 12-year civil war and a refugee crisis.

The pre-dawn attack on a house in the village of Atme, just south of the Turkish border, led to up to 13 casualties, among them women and children. It also resulted in the destruction of a US helicopter, which had been used to carry special forces troops from Erbil in Iraq.

“Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more,” Joe Biden said in a television address from the White House. “Our forces carried out the operation with their signature preparation and precision.”

A UN official told AFP news agency that the seven-day-old and two-month-old girls had died in Idlib province.

Some 2.8 million people have sought shelter in the opposition stronghold after fleeing their homes during the country's decade-long civil war.

Many live in worn-out tents without warm clothes and fuel for heating.

The UN has warned that the situation is getting worse due to a severe economic downturn in Syria that has seen food prices double in a year, as well as a shortage of funding to provide winter aid and increased needs.

Those executed on Wednesday were charged with committing "terrorist acts that led to death and damage to state infrastructure, public and private property", the ministry said.

It said 11 others were sentenced to life in prison on the same charges from dozens arrested at the end of last year who confessed to igniting the fires that began in September 2020 and lasted until mid-October of the same year.

Although executions are common in the tightly run country with a powerful security apparatus, it is rare to publicise such a large number of executions on a single day.

It would be the first time North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has hosted a head of state since assuming power in 2011.

He has undertaken a flurry of diplomatic activity recently, meeting China's president in May, and is expected to attend a summit with Donald Trump this month.

Syria, an ally of the North, has made no comment on the reported plan.

The two countries have been accused of co-operating on chemical weapons. But both nations deny the accusations.

No date for the visit was mentioned by the North Korea's KCNA news agency.

The warning came after the US, UK and France struck three Syrian sites in response to a suspected deadly chemical attack in the town of Douma a week ago.

Syria denies any chemical use and says that attack was fabricated by rebels.

A UN Security Council vote brought by Syria's ally, Russia, and condemning the US-led strikes was rejected.

The wave of strikes represents the most significant attack against President Bashar al-Assad's government by Western powers in seven years of Syria's civil war.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 21 of those reportedly killed on Sunday morning were children.

The village is in Deir al-Zour, one of the last provinces where Islamic State still holds territory.

Initially SOHR said 34 had been killed in strikes on residential buildings.

But the monitoring group's head told the AFP news agency it now believed the figure was higher.

"The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation," Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The deal unites the world's nations in tackling climate change.

Nicaragua refused to sign it last year, arguing that it did not go far enough to tackle the problem.

In June President Donald Trump said the US would withdraw from the deal, but the rules of the agreement state that this cannot be done until 2020.

The president said it was part of his "solemn duty to protect America" and he would seek a new deal that would not disadvantage US businesses.

Syria said the strikes were a "blatant attack on forces fighting terrorism", while Russia said they breached the country's sovereignty.

The convoy was hit on Thursday as it neared a group of US-backed rebels and a Western special forces unit in Tanf.

The US said Russia was told in advance and that warning shots were ignored.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said the strikes were "completely unacceptable", according to state-run news agency Ria Novosti.

The accord on four zones was reached at Thursday's talks in Kazakhstan between Russia and Iran which back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey, which supports Syrian rebel groups, agreed to act as a guarantor. Moscow says the US, the UN and Saudi Arabia also support the idea.

But some delegates from the rebel forces angrily rejected the plan.

At Friday's news briefing in Moscow, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said attacks by all sides in the "de-escalation" zones should halt from midnight.