Syria

The nationwide cease-fire is to begin at midnight local time. Russia and Turkey will act as guarantors. The agreement does not include areas under the control of ISIS.

The U.N. endorsed the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine in 2005, calling on world powers to stop atrocities. But the secretary general says there's no longer global solidarity on the agreement.

In some areas of Syria, local truces have averted deadly military takeovers. But in a suburb north of Damascus, rebel fighters say their departure resulted more from coercion than negotiation.

Remaining rebels and civilians in east Aleppo wait in freezing weather for transportation out of the city; a few hundred people refuse to leave. Pro-regime forces might enter as soon as this evening.

Multiple cease-fires have failed and evacuation efforts halted in the dwindling rebel-held enclave in Aleppo, partly over disputes about two regime-friendly villages. Now buses are moving again.

Thousands of civilians and dozens of wounded people have been evacuated from the small section of Aleppo still controlled by surrendering rebels. But now the movement out of the city has stopped.

Syrian state TV said thousands of fighters and civilians await evacuation from rebel-held eastern Aleppo. Some ambulances came under brief fire, but now buses of evacuees are leaving the city.

Reports from eastern Aleppo have described horrific bloodshed as the Syrian regime and its allies overpower rebel forces. A cease-fire is supposed to allow tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Reports from inside east Aleppo described indiscriminate killing and scenes of horror and despair. Now a cease-fire has taken hold, and there's hope evacuation might be possible.

After more than five years of fighting, President Bashar Assad's military is making significant advances against rebels in Aleppo and is subduing the restive suburbs of Damascus.