Aleppo / AFP Besieged Syrian civilians waited desperately for aid on Wednesday as relief convoys remained on hold despite a significant drop in violence under a ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow. The truce that began at sundown on Monday is part of the latest bid to end a five-year conflict that has killed more than 300,000 people. The …

  Nicosia / AFP Cypriot leaders will meet UN chief Ban Ki-moon later this month, his envoy said on Wednesday, as they push for a deal on reunifying the Mediterranean island this year. Espen Barth Eide said that Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci would meet Ban in New York on September 25 to try …

  Almaty / AFP Uzbekistan’s acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has carried out his first reshuffle, the authorities said Wednesday, in a sign of his growing authority following the death of long-reigning strongman Islam Karimov. Mirziyoyev was boosted from prime minister to acting leader of the Central Asian nation last week after Karimov died aged 78, following 27 years of ruthless …