As the green surrender buses trickled out of Aleppo, Bashar al-Assad's two biggest backers reacted differently.

The evacuation has been suspended after pro-Govt militias demanded wounded people also be brought out of two Shi'ite villages besieged by rebel fighters.

A small faction of people, some wearing 'Make America Great Again caps, ended up clashing with the Syrian Solidarity NZ group.

Of all the events of 2016, the Syrian conflict has been the darkest.

Even though the city he grew up in has been largely destroyed by war, Ibrahim Abu Laith says he will return.

COMMENT: The indiscriminate killing in Syria and the use of chemical weapons continues. Women and children are gunned down in the streets. For what?

Four and a half years and hundreds of thousands of deaths later, the end of the rebellion in Syria is drawing near.

Dozens of people have been executed by Syrian government loyalists sweeping through the remaining opposition-held districts of Aleppo.

The end of a long and bloody war is nearing but the use of deadly weapons is escalating. Those trapped inside Syria's Aleppo have no way out.

New Zealand tried and failed to get a truce in Aleppo.

Syrian rebel groups have promised to continue their war by adopting the guerrilla tactics of assassinations, armed raids and roadside bombs.

Syrian forces have rounded up hundreds of young men as government troops advance into rebel-held zones in embattled Aleppo.

New Zealand is leading a bid to get UN Security Council members to agree to resumption of a ceasefire in Syria.

Syrian regime forces seized full control of northeast Aleppo, overrunning a third of what remained of the rebel enclave and sending thousands of civilians into flight.

COMMENT: Do the outside powers that have intervened in the war accept Bashar al-Assad's victory, or do they keep the war going?

The President invited a 6-year-old to White House to congratulate him on his compassion.

The listeners who call in to Radio Alghad are typical of talk radio audiences around the world, except the callers to Radio Tomorrow are in the Isis-controlled city of Mosul.

Syrian government airstrikes pounded eastern Aleppo yesterday.

A Kiwi firefighter will help train Syria's 'White Helmet' civil defence workers who help in the aftermath of missile strikes and attacks.

COMMENT: It is time to sober up. The superpowers are drunk on rhetoric, mistrust and posturing. They are dragging us all towards the brink.

Russia is deploying "two of the most powerful warships in the world" - and sending a message to the Americans. What is Putin up to?

Amira Karroum was beautiful and accomplished, but also lonely: an easy mark for the Islamic State recruiter who lured her to a barbaric death.

New Zealand believes it has found a good middle ground for a Security Council resolution demanding an end to attacks that may kill civilians in Syria - days after Russia vetoed a similar text.

In a series of recent tweets All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has highlighted the plight of children in some of the world's most troubled spots.

A Syrian man suspected of planning a bomb attack in Germany on behalf of Isis (Islamic State) was arrested after being captured by fellow Syrians.

The call came last January when Tammam Tamim was at home with his family.

New Zealand has accused Syria of telling "blatant lies" about the delivery of humanitarian aid to its own people.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called for the Syrian and Russian governments to face a war-crimes investigation over attacks on civilians in Syria.

COMMENT: Rachel Stewart, winner of the 'Opinion Writer of the Year' award at 2016 Canon Media Awards, has joined the Herald. Here is her first column.

John Key has signalled a rapid and unexpected rise in interest rates and "something big that happens internationally" as the biggest threats to the NZ economy.