Russia says Assad not bluffing about staying put

BEIRUT – Syrian President Bashar Assad “is not bluffing” about his determination to stay in power, Russia’s foreign minister said in comments broadcast Friday, as negotiations to free 21 U.N. peacekeepers held by Syrian rebels dragged into a third day. Also, the World Food Program said it aims to feed 2.5 million Syrians by next month, up from 1.7 million now. Need has risen sharply as growing numbers of Syrians are displaced by civil war and the country’s economy is disintegrating. The uprising against Assad erupted two years ago, with primarily peaceful protests deteriorating into a br…

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