John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov hope that the joint peace plan will end a civil war that has killed nearly half a million people since 2011 Fabrice Coffrini/Getty ImagesMidday updates Johnson welcomes dealFighting continues ahead of ceasefireSyrian rebel group casts doubt on dealOpposition umbrella group cautiously optimisticThe United States and Russia have agreed a plan to impose a ceasefire in Syria, laying the foundations for a peace process in the war-ravaged nation, John Kerry said last night. Emerging from talks with his Russian counterpart in Geneva, Sergey Lavrov, the secretary of state said he believed that the plan could finally halt a war that has killed nearly half a million people since 2011. “Today, the United States and Russia are announcing a plan which we hope will reduce violence, ease suffering and resume movement towards a negotiated peace and a political transition in Syria,” he said.…

Source: The Times September 09, 2016 23:37 UTC