Putin calls for Syria peace talks

JAPAN – Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed peace talks on Syria, as evacuations continued of civilians desperate to leave the bombarded city of Aleppo. “Syrian forces have achieved success in allowing the Syrian people to lead their ordinary life and return to homes … the next step is an agreement about stopping all the fighting, all the shooting,” Putin said Friday, during a joint press conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Since Thursd