Syrian activists say a car bomb killed 18 people Wednesday in northern Syria.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the blast in Idlib province targeted Syrian soldiers.

The new United Nations-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, heads to Damascus Thursday for a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Brahimi says his task in Syria will be difficult that he will try his best to give as much help as possible to the Syrian people.

The U.N. and Arab League have made no progress on reaching a cease-fire in Syria and starting talks on a transitional government.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says the world is deadlocked over Syria, warning of more radicalization and violence.

Ashton told the European Parliament that there is a dangerous stalemate in Syria. She says the opposition is fragmented and that there is no real alternative to the Assad regime.

Eighteen months of fighting in Syria between government forces and rebels trying to overthrow President Assad have killed about 20,000 people, nearly all of them civilians. More than 1 million people have fled their homes.