In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half.

The survey was conducted on around 10,000 desk workers by Future Forum,&nbsp; a research consortium supported by Salesforce Inc-owned Slack Technologies.

The study revealed that business leaders have been attending many unproductive meetings with the hope that it would be a good use of their working hours, but it ultimately wasn't.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/no-ethics-needed-for-ai-microsoft-sacks-entire-ethics-and-society-team-that-ensure-ai-principles-572035">No ethics needed for AI? Microsoft sacks entire ethics and society team that ensures AI principles</a>

The meetings are also attended by employees to show their manager that they are working and because they don't want to miss something important, the survey found.

For the employees in the lower position, the reason for attending the meetings is that they don't have a choice. The study's findings come at a time when various organisations are making efforts to understand which meetings are really important and which ones need to be jettisoned in a growing hybrid workplace where staffers are not always present at the same location.

Canadian e-commerce site Shopify Inc said that it is working to eliminate 320,000 hours of meetings in 2023 by suspending all recurring meetings that are held with more than two people, making Wednesday a “no-meetings” day and putting a limit on large gatherings while encouraging employees to decline some invites.

WATCH | Gravitas: Will 2023 be about returning to offices?

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Another survey suggested that around $100 million is wasted every year on non-critical meetings at big organisations, which also found that workers decline only 14 per cent of invites even though they are willing to back out from 31 per cent of them.

Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the research of Future Forum, said, "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to eliminating unnecessary meetings. So get comfortable with experimenting and iterating."&nbsp;

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In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half.

In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half. The survey was conducted on around 10,000 desk workers by Future Forum, a research consortium supported by Salesforce Inc-owned Slack Technologies. The study revealed that business leaders have been attending many unproductive meetings with the hope that it would be a good use of their working hours, but it ultimately wasn't. ALSO READ | No ethics needed for AI? Microsoft sacks entire ethics and society team that ensures AI principles The meetings are also attended by employees to show their manager that they are working and because they don't want to miss something important, the survey found. For the employees in the lower position, the reason for attending the meetings is that they don't have a choice. The study's findings come at a time when various organisations are making efforts to understand which meetings are really important and which ones need to be jettisoned in a growing hybrid workplace where staffers are not always present at the same location. Canadian e-commerce site Shopify Inc said that it is working to eliminate 320,000 hours of meetings in 2023 by suspending all recurring meetings that are held with more than two people, making Wednesday a “no-meetings” day and putting a limit on large gatherings while encouraging employees to decline some invites. WATCH | Gravitas: Will 2023 be about returning to offices? Another survey suggested that around $100 million is wasted every year on non-critical meetings at big organisations, which also found that workers decline only 14 per cent of invites even though they are willing to back out from 31 per cent of them. Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the research of Future Forum, said, "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to eliminating unnecessary meetings. So get comfortable with experimenting and iterating." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Offices can run smoothly with even half of meetings held daily: Survey

Daily COVID-19 cases in New Zealand fell on Wednesday after a record jump the day before, with most infections still in Auckland as the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to affect the country's biggest city.

Authorities reported 60 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, of which 56 were in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 2,158. There have been 28 deaths in total since the pandemic began and 43 people are currently hospitalised because of the virus.

New Zealand had stayed largely virus-free for most of the pandemic until the Delta outbreak in mid-August that has spread across Auckland and neighbouring regions, prompting tight restrictions on some 1.7 million Aucklanders that were extended further this week.

Authorities have warned that infections are likely to trend higher until vaccination rates gather more pace. Some 67 per cent&nbsp;of the population is now fully vaccinated, while 85 per cent&nbsp;have received at least one dose.

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Auckland has now been locked down for more than two months, though New Zealand's total cumulative load of 4,854 confirmed cases is far lower than many comparable countries.

The government has shifted to a strategy of living with COVID-19, and education minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday said senior secondary school students in some areas would return to classrooms from next Tuesday.

"This is a complex issue requiring difficult trade-offs between improving education and increasing potential health risks for children and young people," Hipkins said at a news conference.

Daily COVID-19 cases in New Zealand fell on Wednesday after a record jump the day before, with most infections still in Auckland as the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to affect the country's biggest city.

Daily COVID-19 cases in New Zealand fell on Wednesday after a record jump the day before, with most infections still in Auckland as the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to affect the country's biggest city. Authorities reported 60 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, of which 56 were in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 2,158. There have been 28 deaths in total since the pandemic began and 43 people are currently hospitalised because of the virus. New Zealand had stayed largely virus-free for most of the pandemic until the Delta outbreak in mid-August that has spread across Auckland and neighbouring regions, prompting tight restrictions on some 1.7 million Aucklanders that were extended further this week. Authorities have warned that infections are likely to trend higher until vaccination rates gather more pace. Some 67 per cent of the population is now fully vaccinated, while 85 per cent have received at least one dose. Also Read | Smoking, marijuana may increase risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection: Study Auckland has now been locked down for more than two months, though New Zealand's total cumulative load of 4,854 confirmed cases is far lower than many comparable countries. The government has shifted to a strategy of living with COVID-19, and education minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday said senior secondary school students in some areas would return to classrooms from next Tuesday. "This is a complex issue requiring difficult trade-offs between improving education and increasing potential health risks for children and young people," Hipkins said at a news conference.

New Zealand's daily COVID-19 cases fall, some classrooms to reopen

Russia on Sunday reported a new record for coronavirus infections for a fourth day in a row, a day after the worst-affected country in Europe set a new death toll high.

There were 34,303 new infections and 997 deaths registered in the country over 24 hours, according to the official toll.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-schools-shift-back-to-classroom-teaching-are-students-ready-to-be-reintroduced-to-outer-world-421087">As schools shift back to classroom teaching, are students ready to be reintroduced to outer world?</a>

On Saturday, Russia recorded 1,002 deaths -- the first time daily deaths hit the one thousand mark -- and 33,208 new infections.

The climbing COVID-19 statistics come as the nation's vaccination drive is at a standstill and with few restrictions in place.

The Kremlin, which says authorities have to ensure "the economy continues working", has avoided re-introducing major measures despite calling the vaccination rate unacceptably low.

It also insists Russia's medical system is not overwhelmed and could take in the rising number of patients.

Authorities have blamed Russians for the growing outbreak.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko this week pointed to their "behaviour", while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said everything had been done to give the public the chance to "save their lives by getting vaccinated".&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/old-fake-news-sputnik-v-refutes-claims-russia-stole-oxford-vaccine-blueprint-419855">'Old fake news': Sputnik V refutes claims Russia stole Oxford vaccine blueprint</a>

While several Russian-developed jabs have been available for months, many people remain vaccine-sceptic.

Independent polls show more than half of Russians do not plan to get a shot.

According to official figures, Russia's fatalities from Covid now stand at 223,312 -- the highest toll in Europe.

Under a broader definition of deaths linked to the virus, the Rosstat statistics agency has said that by the end of August more than 400,000 people in Russia had died with the coronavirus.&nbsp;

Russia on Sunday reported a new record for coronavirus infections for a fourth day in a row, a day after the worst-affected country in Europe set a new death toll high.

Russia on Sunday reported a new record for coronavirus infections for a fourth day in a row, a day after the worst-affected country in Europe set a new death toll high. There were 34,303 new infections and 997 deaths registered in the country over 24 hours, according to the official toll. Also Read | As schools shift back to classroom teaching, are students ready to be reintroduced to outer world? On Saturday, Russia recorded 1,002 deaths -- the first time daily deaths hit the one thousand mark -- and 33,208 new infections. The climbing COVID-19 statistics come as the nation's vaccination drive is at a standstill and with few restrictions in place. The Kremlin, which says authorities have to ensure "the economy continues working", has avoided re-introducing major measures despite calling the vaccination rate unacceptably low. It also insists Russia's medical system is not overwhelmed and could take in the rising number of patients. Authorities have blamed Russians for the growing outbreak. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko this week pointed to their "behaviour", while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said everything had been done to give the public the chance to "save their lives by getting vaccinated". Also Read | 'Old fake news': Sputnik V refutes claims Russia stole Oxford vaccine blueprint While several Russian-developed jabs have been available for months, many people remain vaccine-sceptic. Independent polls show more than half of Russians do not plan to get a shot. According to official figures, Russia's fatalities from Covid now stand at 223,312 -- the highest toll in Europe. Under a broader definition of deaths linked to the virus, the Rosstat statistics agency has said that by the end of August more than 400,000 people in Russia had died with the coronavirus.

Russia reports record daily virus cases again

Daily contact testing will be rolled out to workplaces in Britain's food sector so staff, who have been 'pinged' by the COVID-19 app can keep working if they test negative rather than isolating, the government said on Thursday. 
 
Some supermarkets are facing shortages of specific products - mainly those in demand in hot weather - and some petrol stations have had to close after the health app told workers to isolate following contact with someone with the virus. 
 
British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, declaring a "pingdemic". 
 
With cases rising to nearly 50,000 a day in the United Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of people have been advised - or "pinged" - by the National Health Service`s contact-tracing app to isolate for 10 days. 
 
The government said priority testing sites would be set up at the largest supermarket distribution centres this week, and up to 500 sites would start next week. 
 
"As we manage this virus and do everything we can to break chains of transmission, daily contact testing of workers in this vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not put at risk," Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. 
 
Contact testing is designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 by identifying people infected by being in proximity to someone with the virus, either via the app or human contact tracers, but who have no symptoms themselves.

Daily contact testing will be rolled out to workplaces in Britain's food sector so staff, who have been 'pinged' by the COVID-19 app can keep working if they test negative rather than isolating, the government said on Thursday.

Daily contact testing will be rolled out to workplaces in Britain's food sector so staff, who have been 'pinged' by the COVID-19 app can keep working if they test negative rather than isolating, the government said on Thursday. Some supermarkets are facing shortages of specific products - mainly those in demand in hot weather - and some petrol stations have had to close after the health app told workers to isolate following contact with someone with the virus. British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, declaring a "pingdemic". With cases rising to nearly 50,000 a day in the United Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of people have been advised - or "pinged" - by the National Health Service`s contact-tracing app to isolate for 10 days. The government said priority testing sites would be set up at the largest supermarket distribution centres this week, and up to 500 sites would start next week. "As we manage this virus and do everything we can to break chains of transmission, daily contact testing of workers in this vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not put at risk," Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. Contact testing is designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 by identifying people infected by being in proximity to someone with the virus, either via the app or human contact tracers, but who have no symptoms themselves.

UK to launch daily COVID-19 tests in food sector to tackle 'pingdemic'

The Tamil Nadu government has emphasised on a slew of measures to control and act against the ongoing spike in Covid-19 cases, that are on the rise as a part of the pan-India second wave. The review meeting held here with top officials from across government departments was chaired by Chief Minister K Palaniswami. &nbsp;

Among the decisions taken and reinforced were to ensure no less than 90,000 RT-PCR tests per day to detect coronavirus infection and aggressive testing in the virus infected areas. Tracing of 25-30 contacts of the infected person, conducting fever camps. It was also decided to declare streets/residential apartments with three Covid-19 cases as micro- containment zones. &nbsp;

Admitting an infected person in a Covid Care Centre of in hospital, based on severity of infection, slapping fines against Covid-norm violators, expediting vaccination for those in the 45+ age group, following of SOP by both Government and private hospitals to reduce the mortality rate, were also mentioned. &nbsp;

The state government has also asked those, who work in cinema theatres, fruits and vegetable markets, commercial complexes to get vaccinated. It was also urged that people step out of their homes only if and when necessary, adding that they must do so while wearing masks and maintaining social distance.&nbsp;

On Monday, Tamil Nadu witnessed 6,711 new cases, which took the active cases to 46,308 and the cumulative cases to 9.40 lakh. So far, 8.8 lakhs persons have recovered, whereas 12,927 have succumbed.&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu government has emphasised on a slew of measures to control and act against the ongoing spike in Covid-19 cases, that are on the rise as a part of the pan-India second wave.

The Tamil Nadu government has emphasised on a slew of measures to control and act against the ongoing spike in Covid-19 cases, that are on the rise as a part of the pan-India second wave. The review meeting held here with top officials from across government departments was chaired by Chief Minister K Palaniswami. Among the decisions taken and reinforced were to ensure no less than 90,000 RT-PCR tests per day to detect coronavirus infection and aggressive testing in the virus infected areas. Tracing of 25-30 contacts of the infected person, conducting fever camps. It was also decided to declare streets/residential apartments with three Covid-19 cases as micro- containment zones. Admitting an infected person in a Covid Care Centre of in hospital, based on severity of infection, slapping fines against Covid-norm violators, expediting vaccination for those in the 45+ age group, following of SOP by both Government and private hospitals to reduce the mortality rate, were also mentioned. The state government has also asked those, who work in cinema theatres, fruits and vegetable markets, commercial complexes to get vaccinated. It was also urged that people step out of their homes only if and when necessary, adding that they must do so while wearing masks and maintaining social distance. On Monday, Tamil Nadu witnessed 6,711 new cases, which took the active cases to 46,308 and the cumulative cases to 9.40 lakh. So far, 8.8 lakhs persons have recovered, whereas 12,927 have succumbed.

Tamil Nadu to carry out nearly 90,000 daily RT-PCR tests amid spike in Covid-19 cases

The gates of the Kedarnath shrine opened Sunday morning.&nbsp;

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had on Saturday extended a warm welcome to devotees visiting the famous shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Rawat said this year's yatra would have several new features, including a daily laser show on Lord Shiva, to make the visitors' experience even more cherishable.&nbsp;

All necessary arrangements have been made by the state government to facilitate a smooth yatra for the pilgrims, Rawat said.

Adequate electricity, water, health and safety arrangements have been made on the trek route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, he said, adding, availability of doctors has been ensured at every kilometer along the route. 
Enough boarding arrangements have also been made for the pilgirms, the chief minister said.&nbsp;

Rawat said thanks to the well-planned restoration work carried out at Kedarnath, its attractive and grand structure would be visible to all. He said the road from the helipad to the temple has also been widened? substantially, he said.?

"At Kedarpuri, 'The Eternal Shiva' laser show will be the centre of attraction for devotees. The show depicts various life-like forms of Lord Shiva. It will be held on a daily basis," he said.?

The portals of Kedarnath were thrown open to devotees ceremoniously amid the chanting of Vedic hymns. Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines have already been reopened while the gates of Badrinath will be reopened on Apr 30.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Portals of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kedarnath?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kedarnath</a> shrine opened for devotees. (earlier visuals) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Uttarakhand?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Uttarakhand</a> <a href="https://t.co/1pKnNSm5Jg">pic.twitter.com/1pKnNSm5Jg</a>
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The gates of these temples are closed every winter due to snow-bound conditions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the state government has made all necessary arrangements to facilitate a smooth yatra for pilgrims

The gates of the Kedarnath shrine opened Sunday morning. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had on Saturday extended a warm welcome to devotees visiting the famous shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas. Rawat said this year's yatra would have several new features, including a daily laser show on Lord Shiva, to make the visitors' experience even more cherishable. All necessary arrangements have been made by the state government to facilitate a smooth yatra for the pilgrims, Rawat said. Adequate electricity, water, health and safety arrangements have been made on the trek route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, he said, adding, availability of doctors has been ensured at every kilometer along the route. Enough boarding arrangements have also been made for the pilgirms, the chief minister said. Rawat said thanks to the well-planned restoration work carried out at Kedarnath, its attractive and grand structure would be visible to all. He said the road from the helipad to the temple has also been widened? substantially, he said.? "At Kedarpuri, 'The Eternal Shiva' laser show will be the centre of attraction for devotees. The show depicts various life-like forms of Lord Shiva. It will be held on a daily basis," he said.? The portals of Kedarnath were thrown open to devotees ceremoniously amid the chanting of Vedic hymns. Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines have already been reopened while the gates of Badrinath will be reopened on Apr 30. #WATCH: Portals of #Kedarnath shrine opened for devotees. (earlier visuals) #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/1pKnNSm5Jg — ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018 × The gates of these temples are closed every winter due to snow-bound conditions. (With inputs from PTI)

Watch: Gates of Kedarnath open, CM says there will be daily laser show on Lord Shiva

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

Over the past week, Syria&#39;s army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds.

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<h5>Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&#39; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire</h5>
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On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town.

&quot;Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&quot; U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire.

Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday&#39;s resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east..

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a &quot;humanitarian corridor&quot;.

RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE

Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

RIA&#39;s report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of &quot;holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave&quot;.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed &quot;those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will&quot;, as well as medical evacuations.

But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: &quot;The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge.&quot;

Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented &quot;so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta&quot;.

She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours.

Russia, along with Iran and Shi&#39;ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas.

Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta&#39;s biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched &quot;a sweeping ground assault&quot; after the U.N. resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria&#39;s pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes.

DEAD CHILDREN

A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said.

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory.

It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday.

Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters.

The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as &quot;sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities&quot;.

RELATIVE LULL

In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there.

&quot;Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment,&quot; he told Reuters in a voice message.

Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front.

The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there.

In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating.

Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus.

The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds. Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire × On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town. "Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire. Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday's resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east.. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a "humanitarian corridor". RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded. RIA's report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of "holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave". The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed "those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will", as well as medical evacuations. But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: "The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge." Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented "so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta". She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours. Russia, along with Iran and Shi'ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas. Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta's biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched "a sweeping ground assault" after the U.N. resolution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes. DEAD CHILDREN A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said. The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory. It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday. Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters. The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as "sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities". RELATIVE LULL In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there. "Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment," he told Reuters in a voice message. Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front. The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there. In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating. Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus. The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce

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