Syria conflict

Syria conflict: Obama 'deeply concerned' about Aleppo

Medics in the city are struggling to cope with the huge number of casualties caused by the most sustained and intense aerial bombardment in years.

Supplies of medicine and blood are running low, as a three-week siege by the army begins to have an impact.

An air strike on a pumping station has also left many areas without water.

"The planes are not leaving the skies at all," Brita Hagi Hassan, president of the rebel city council, told Reuters news agency. "Life in the city is paralysed."

Syria conflict: US accuses Russia of 'barbarism' in Aleppo

At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Samantha Power said Russia had told the council outright lies about its conduct in Syria.

She said Russia and the Syrian regime were "laying waste to what is left of an iconic Middle Eastern city".

Russia said Syrian forces were trying to remove terrorists from Aleppo while harming as few citizens as possible.

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin did not say Russian forces were involved.

Syria conflict: UN chief 'appalled' by Aleppo escalation

Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general was alarmed by reports of air strikes involving incendiary weapons and bunker-busting bombs.

The Syrian government has stepped up strikes on rebel-held areas of the city since a ceasefire collapsed last week.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Sunday morning in New York.

The meeting was requested by the US, the UK and France.

Syria conflict: Air strikes leave Aleppo 'without water'

The UN children's agency says fierce strikes on Friday prevented repairs to a damaged pumping station supplying rebel-held districts of the city.

In retaliation, Unicef says, a nearby station pumping water to the rest of Aleppo has been switched off.

Fresh strikes were reported in the city on Saturday, as the Syrian army presses on with its push to retake rebel areas.

The latest offensive was launched after a ceasefire collapsed on Monday.

Syria conflict: US-Russia plans 'must be saved' - Lavrov

He was speaking as the northern city of Aleppo endured a day of relentless air strikes, with the Syrian military determined to retake rebel-held areas.

A seven-day US-Russian brokered truce collapsed on Monday.

Mr Lavrov laid the blame on the US for failing to control the rebel groups it backs.

He said a key condition of the truce was for moderate rebel groups backed by the US to separate themselves from militants.

Syria conflict: US 'holds Russia responsible' for deadly aid attack

The White House has called it an "enormous humanitarian tragedy".

Meanwhile, US officials have told the BBC that two Russian war planes were responsible for the attack.

Russia strongly denies involvement of its own or Syrian planes, and says the incident was caused by fire on the ground and not by an air strike.

"There are no craters and the exterior of the vehicles do not have the kind of damage consistent with blasts caused by bombs dropped from the air," a statement from the defence ministry said.

UN suspends all aid convoys to Syria

The convoy had received proper permits, and all warring parties - including Russia and the US - had been notified, a UN spokesman said.

Eighteen of the 31 lorries, containing wheat, winter clothes and medical supplies, were destroyed.

A senior official of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was among a number of civilians killed.

The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, has described the attack as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law".

Syria conflict: Aid convoy hit by 'air strike' near Aleppo

One unconfirmed report said 12 people were killed in the attack near the town of Urm al-Kubra.

A UN spokesman said at least 18 of 31 trucks had been hit but could not confirm it was by an air strike.

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said it was an "outrage".

"The convoy was the outcome of a long process of permission and preparations to assist isolated civilians," he said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Syria conflict: Bombs rain down as truce hopes rise

An air strike on a market in Idlib killed at least 37 people while at least 45 died in strikes on Aleppo province, opposition activists say.

A 10-day truce is meant to start on Monday, followed by co-ordinated air strikes against jihadist militants.

Turkey and the EU welcomed the plan but warned that further action was needed.

Turkey said aid must be delivered from the very start while EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini looked towards a "political transition".

Syria conflict: Senior militant leader 'killed' near Aleppo

The group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham said on its Twitter account that commander Abu Omar Sarakeb died in an air strike in Aleppo province.

It did not say which country's forces had carried out the air strike.

Al-Nusra Front changed its name at the end of July, reportedly cutting ties with al-Qaeda at the same time.

The Syrian government, Russia and a US-led coalition have all been carrying out air strikes against militant groups in Syria.