The Syrian army’s advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday but a victory was still firmly in sight after President Bashar al-Assad vowed that retaking the nation’s second city would change the course of the six-year civil war in his favour. Lightning gains in recent days in which government forces and their allies recaptured Aleppo’s historic Old City lost some momentum …

IT’S millions of years old, weighs in at an estimated 10 million tonnes, is more than 200m high and has a curious history. But it’s unlikely you would have ever heard of — let alone seen — this intriguing giant. That’s because the Rock of Guatapé monolith (also known as El Peñol) is far removed from the typical “attractions” on …