Battle for Aleppo and French-Saudi conference on Palestine – Trending

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Residents fleeing Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, say the final route out of the province has been blocked. It follows the capture of the town of Khanaser by militants, on the last motorway linking the city with southern towns.

Syrian military troops said they recaptured the town amid heavy fighting, but the road remains closed as violence intensifies.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, would co-chair a conference on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“In the coming months, together we will multiply and combine our diplomatic initiatives to bring everyone along this path,” Mr Macron said. He said he would recognise a Palestinian state “at the right moment” and at a time “when it triggers reciprocal movements of recognition”.

An emergency martial law order issued by South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was rescinded on Wednesday after protesters gathered outside the parliamentary building and politicians voted to block his action.

Mr Yoon had said he was declaring martial law to protect “a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements”. He did not mention any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, but focused instead on his domestic political opponents.