February 22
11:24
2016
Efforts intensified for a partial truce in Syria as fighting raged near Aleppo on Monday and after the country suffered its bloodiest jihadist attack in nearly five years of war. US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to speak in the coming days after Washington announced a provisional agreement had been reached on an imminent "cessation of hostilities". US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the deal on Sunday, as a string of suicide bombings in areas near a Shiite shrine outside Damascus and in the city of Homs killed at least 184 people.
