Syrian rebels end talks with demand for Assad to step down

Syrian rebel factions have demanded that President Bashar al-Assad have no part in any transitional government, issuing a joint statement on Thursday after two days of crucial talks in Riyadh. "Participants have insisted that Bashar al-Assad and his aides quit power with the start of the transition period," said the statement, referring to a plan set out in Vienna last month to have a "credible, inclusive and nonsectarian" transitional government in place in the country by June 2016. Participants, however, did say there that they are ready to negotiate with representatives of the Syrian regime... within a specific timeframe that would be agreed on with the United Nations."