Russia and Syrian government forces are observing a temporary ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo to allow rebel forces and civilians to leave the besieged districts. The rebels have rejected the pours in the air campaign and been continuing their counter offensive.
There has been a large explosion in the city of Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey hours after the authorities detained 11 MPs from the pro-Kurdish HDP party including two of its leaders. There were reports of a number of injuries. Overnight police raided the houses of Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag as part of what they said was, a counter terrorism investigation.
In Indonesia tens of thousands of Muslim protesters have converged in the central of Jakarta to demand the arrest of the capital’s governor for alleged blasphemy. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian and an ethnic Chinese, otherwise known as Ahok, said his opponents had deceived voters by attacking him using a verse from the Koran. He’s apologized for the remarks.
The South Korean president Park Geun-hye has apologized for allowing a long standing friend inappropriate access to government policy making. Appearing close to tears in the televised address, Ms. Park agreed to be questioned over the scandal, but has not offered to resign.
The Paris agreement on climate change has come into force at lurching government to keep the global temperature no higher than two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists say the world will need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 14 billion tons by 2030 to meet the target.
French police have begun clearing a temporary migrant camp close to one of the main railway stations in Paris. The numbers of people living in tents on the streets close to the Gare du Nord have increased markedly in the two weeks since the closure of the so called Jungle camp in Calais.
