Sergey Lavrov says Moscow will continue airstrikes in Syria

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• The Saudi-backed opposition group says it will not return to the suspended Syria peace negotiations. Chief of the so-called High Negotiations Committee, Riad Hijab, says the opposition will only talk about a ceasefire if there is a transition without Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• Syrian government forces are continuing to push back foreign-backed terrorists in the northern province of Aleppo. Under the cover of Russian airstrikes, the Syrian army and popular forces have reportedly managed to break the siege of the northern towns of Nobl and Zahra in Aleppo's countryside.
• Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow will continue its airstrikes in Syria until it defeats terrorist groups there. His comments came after US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said Russia should stop bombing opposition forces in Syria. Russia started its air campaign in Syria on September 30 last year.
• A Muslim butchery has been attacked on the French island of Corsica. Prosecutors say the front window of the shop was sprayed with bullets overnight. There were no reports of casualties. The attack comes amid a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment across the Mediterranean island and Europe.
• The French president rules out giving Britain a veto over eurozone policies, saying there should be no further changes to proposed reforms to keep Britain in the EU. The remarks were made as London negotiates an EU reform package to keep the country in the bloc.
• People in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir are fleeing their homes as authorities lift curfew in some areas. A round-the-clock curfew was imposed on a large part of the Kurdish-populated city in December. The region remains tense amid deadly clashes between the army and Kurdish militants.
• Two dozen Yemenis have been killed in fresh Saudi bombardments of Amran and Sana'a provinces. More than 83-hundred Yemenis have lost their lives in the months-long Saudi war on the impoverished nation. Riyadh has defied repeated international calls for an end to the deadly blitz.
• Israeli forces have shot dead three more Palestinians over alleged stabbing and gun attacks in the occupied West Bank. They were gunned down near the Damascus gate in Jerusalem al-Quds. 172 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October. 28 Israelis have also lost their lives in counter-attacks.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk