Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia’s Middle East envoy said, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of president Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister has said that Syrian President Bashar Assad is increasingly losing control and the opposition may win, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.

A bomb has exploded in a suburb south-west of the Syrian capital, the state news agency said today.

THE G8 leaders promised $20 billion (€14bn) in aid to Tunisia and Egypt yesterday and held out the prospect of billions more to foster the Arab Spring and the new democracies emerging from popular uprisings.