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Russia has stopped bombing Aleppo - but for how long?

Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo as of 7am this morning, Russia’s defence minister said.

Mideast Syria War Q&A (File photo) A Syrian man carries his sister who was wounded in a government airstrike hit the neighbourhood of Ansari, in Aleppo, Syria. AP Photo / Abdullah al-Yassin, File AP Photo / Abdullah al-Yassin, File / Abdullah al-Yassin, File

THE RUSSIAN AND Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo as of 7am this morning, Russia’s defence minister said, in a move he said was meant to pave the way for an eight-hour truce on 20 October.

“Strikes in the Aleppo region by the Russian and Syrian air forces are stopping today starting at 10am (local time),” Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing.

“The early cessation of air strikes is necessary to introduce a ‘humanitarian pause’ on 20 October.

This guarantees the security of civilians’ exit through six corridors and prepares the evacuation of the sick and injured from eastern Aleppo.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday that its forces and the Syrian regime would halt fire in Aleppo on Thursday for eight hours amid mounting criticism of the Moscow-led assault on Syria’s second city.

Today, Shoigu called on countries that “have influence on armed groups in eastern Aleppo” to convince group leaders to cease hostilities and leave the city.

Russia Syria Lt General Sergei Rudskoi of Russian military's General Staff at a briefing on 13 October in Moscow. He denied targeting civilian areas. Ivan Sekretarev / PA Ivan Sekretarev / PA / PA

Al-Nusra Front

Shoigu said the initiative could “contribute to the success” of international military talks in Geneva tomorrow on efforts to distance Syrian opposition fighters from jihadist group Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after renouncing its ties to Al-Qaeda.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said on Monday that Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have agreed to take part in talks on distancing rebels from the Syrian jihadist group.

Russia has repeatedly demanded that the Syrian rebels break off from Fateh al-Sham Front, which the United Nations considers a terrorist group, as a condition to revive a ceasefire in Aleppo.

The brutal government offensive against rebel-held eastern Aleppo backed by Russian airpower has plunged Syria into some of the worst violence since the conflict erupted in March 2011.

The West has accused Moscow and Damascus of committing potential war crimes in their offensive on the city.

- © AFP, 2016

Read: A city on the brink of destruction: Can anything save Aleppo?

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    Mute Mark Jones
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    May 29th 2018, 8:17 AM

    They need to put a fence in the middle reserve to stop rubberneckers and put that toll money to some use. It’s a joke there is even a toll on that road.

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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    May 29th 2018, 8:46 AM

    @Mark Jones: exactly their should no toll on the M50 the motorist getting ripped yet again.

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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    May 29th 2018, 1:37 PM

    @Mark Jones: that is what is done many places in UK, whenever there is an incident.
    It covers up / fences off the vehicle(s) so nothing is visible => reduces the cumulative rubbernecking time, thus speeding things up.

    I’m surprised it hasn’t been implemented in Éire.
    Rubberneckers are a scourge on society – they need more visual entertainment in the daily lives.

    24
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    Mute The Guru
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    May 29th 2018, 8:48 AM

    Can someone buy the Gardai some new cameras!

    120
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    Mute Carl
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    May 29th 2018, 9:00 AM

    I thought it was a stock photo from 1980 at first glance!

    92
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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    May 29th 2018, 12:00 PM

    All motorway drivers should have to complete an online awareness course before being allowed onto a motorway.
    For example my neighbour is 80 years old and she is driving legally. She got a licence before driving tests were brought in and today she can legally drive on the M50.
    That’s wrong on so many levels.

    46
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    Mute marty
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    May 29th 2018, 9:10 AM

    I can do the M50 run in 12 parsecs…….if im going the opposite direction.
    (not rubber necking at the eejit that caused the crash)

    44
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    Mute Shane Fleming
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    May 29th 2018, 8:59 AM

    Must have been some smash to block 3 lanes with debris

    40
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    Mute ross mcgee
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    May 29th 2018, 11:44 AM

    Photo taken by gardai on a potato camera!

    If rubber-neckers are ruining your day, start beeping at them to move on. At some point you will be behind the car that has slowed down to look, beep them, I do it, ive really cheesed off some folks, even one trying to take a photo once… Just do it, I never understand why there aren’t a sea of car horns sounding at a crash on the opposite side to move rubber neckers on. Change your behaviour to change others behaviour.

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    Mute John J. Smith
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    May 29th 2018, 11:13 AM

    Why are crews not on stand by to clear accidents from our motorways. Surely with modern technology there is no need to close them to investigate an accident.

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    Mute Platypus Parcel
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    May 29th 2018, 12:12 PM

    This situation is being caused by the cyclists breaking red lights. It might seem unlikely but a review of the facts cannot be ignored.

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    Mute Tom Purcell
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    May 29th 2018, 12:17 PM

    @Platypus Parcel: I’m famously no fan of cyclists, but can you show how “This situation is being caused by the cyclists breaking red lights”. It is a problem in town but do you have evidence it contributed to the “situation” here?

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    Mute Platypus Parcel
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    May 29th 2018, 12:25 PM

    @Tom Purcell: Everytime a cyclists breaks a red light the drivers adjacent look at them and shake their head and roll their eyes. This improves neck muscles and peripheral vision.

    These improved abilities allow drivers to ‘rubberneck’ on the motorway thus causing tailbacks.

    quod erat demonstrandum

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    Mute Mr Wilde
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    May 29th 2018, 1:33 PM

    @Platypus Parcel: wise

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    Mute Conor O'Sullivan
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    May 29th 2018, 2:47 PM

    @Platypus Parcel: there are no cyclists on the M50.

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    Mute Platypus Parcel
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    May 29th 2018, 3:15 PM

    @Conor O’Sullivan: That’s because there are no red lights to ignore, zero sport, zero bipedal motion.

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    Mute Conor O'Sullivan
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    May 29th 2018, 3:25 PM

    @Platypus Parcel: read the title of the article: “Very heavy delays after commuter crash on the M50″. It concerns the M50 – on which there are no cyclists.

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    Mute Platypus Parcel
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    May 29th 2018, 3:38 PM

    @Conor O’Sullivan: The north-bound lane of the M50 isn’t as slow as you.

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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    May 29th 2018, 10:40 AM

    We have some desperate Drivers here in Ireland.Every day on the M50 they are speeding and driving up your ass.Accidents happen every single day on this motorway. Put cameras in and it will stop it like they did in the port tunnel.
    They really must do something quick.
    It WILL work.

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    Mute Conor O'Sullivan
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    May 29th 2018, 12:09 PM

    @Gerry Fallon: probably coz many are guilty of lanehogging on the M50. Keep to the left and no one will be ‘driving up your ass’. Motorway driving skills are clearly lacking in Ireland.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    May 29th 2018, 12:18 PM

    @Gerry Fallon: I was tailgated on the M1 going northbound last Saturday evening, there was no room for me to manoeuvre as the lane I was in was chockerblock as were the other two lanes. The guy behind me just would not move back, it was very scary and my children started to cry with fear. He was so close I could only see his windscreen in my rearview. This is unacceptable behaviour.

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    May 29th 2018, 1:06 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: a tip of the breaks would of filled his car with the smell of manure!!

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    May 29th 2018, 5:15 PM

    @Tony Harris: I was tempted Tony but I had three children in the car with me.

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    Mute B Ó Raghallaigh
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    May 29th 2018, 9:09 AM

    I was wondering why the north bound traffic was so light this morning.

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    Mute Van Transport Johnny O'Connor
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    May 29th 2018, 9:35 AM

    Gardaí to attend funerals in respect initiativehttps://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2018/0528/966681-funeral/

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    Mute James O'Brien
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    May 29th 2018, 4:15 PM

    A joke this road is, something needs to be done. Either don’t let anyone on it till they have been tested on it or make everyone resit their test every few years

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    Mute Celene Russell McGrath
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:03 PM

    Please think before you comment especially when you haven’t got the facts. The driver was driving in the left lane and is a very good driver and he doesn’t need lessons to know how to drive on the M50. You might want to bare that in mind before you so freely give your opinions next time round.

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    Mute Stephen Small
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    May 29th 2018, 3:55 PM

    People who play with their own faeces. Or rubberneckers for short.

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