Palmyra

Russia says new materials needed to rebuild monuments in Syria's Palmyra

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MOSCOW -- Two ancient monuments in the Syrian city of Palmyra were so badly damaged by Islamic State that they can only be rebuilt using substantially new materials, Russian officials said on Thursday.If that were to happen, many historians would view the monuments as mere replicas, shorn of the ancient heritage of the original structures.Experts from Russia's Culture...

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Syria peace talks in trouble after intense Russian strikes

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GENEVA -- The UN's special envoy warned all hope to resolve Syria's civil war would be lost if the latest attempt at peace talks failed, after the opposition said Russian airstrikes threatened to derail the discussions before they had begun.The main opposition umbrella group attending the talks said Russia's "unprecedented" bombardment near Aleppo -- 270 raids since Monday...