Geneva: The United Nations has announced the formal start of peace talks for Syria and has urged world powers to push for a ceasefire even as government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have launched their biggest offensive north of Aleppo in a year. Government troops and allied fighters captured hilly countryside near Aleppo on Monday, putting a key supply route used by opposition forces into firing range, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. Rebels said the offensive was being conducted with massive Russian air support, despite a promise of goodwill steps by the Syrian government to spur peace negotiations. The opposition has said that...
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