North Korea denied reports it had cooperated with Syria on chemical weapons, dismissing them as a fabrication by the United States to pressure the country, state media reported late Thursday (March 1).

The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry&#39;s research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a &quot;nonsensical argument&quot; that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons.

&quot;As we have clearly said several times, our republic does not develop, produce and stockpile chemical weapons and opposes chemical weapons themselves,&quot; KRT quoted its foreign ministry.

Two North Korean shipments to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country&#39;s chemical weapons program were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential U.N. report on North Korea sanctions violations.

The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry's research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a "nonsensical argument" that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons

North Korea denied reports it had cooperated with Syria on chemical weapons, dismissing them as a fabrication by the United States to pressure the country, state media reported late Thursday (March 1). The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry's research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a "nonsensical argument" that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons. "As we have clearly said several times, our republic does not develop, produce and stockpile chemical weapons and opposes chemical weapons themselves," KRT quoted its foreign ministry. Two North Korean shipments to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country's chemical weapons program were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential U.N. report on North Korea sanctions violations.

North Korea denies chemical weapons link with Syria

A senior US&nbsp;disarmament official said on Wednesday that Russia has violated its commitments as guarantor of the destruction of Syria&#39;s chemical weapons stockpile and preventing the Assad government from using them.

Robert Wood, US&nbsp;disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, told reporters in Geneva shortly before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the forum: &quot;Russia is is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria.&quot;

Wood, asked about a reported nexus of cooperation between North Korea and Syria, replied: &quot;Clearly there has been a history of a relationship between North Korea and Syria with regard to missile activity, chemical weapons components.&quot;

'Russia is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria,' Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament

A senior US disarmament official said on Wednesday that Russia has violated its commitments as guarantor of the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile and preventing the Assad government from using them. Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, told reporters in Geneva shortly before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the forum: "Russia is is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria." Wood, asked about a reported nexus of cooperation between North Korea and Syria, replied: "Clearly there has been a history of a relationship between North Korea and Syria with regard to missile activity, chemical weapons components."

US says Russia violating duty to rein in Syria's use of chemical weapons

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts.

The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say.

An as-yet-unreleased UN report also says Pyongyang&#39;s missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making facilities, the New York Times says.

The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies.

North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The supplies reported to have been illicitly sent to Syria by North Korea included high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers. The tiles are said to be used to construct facilities where chemical weapons are produced.

Five shipments were sent to Syria via a Chinese trading firm during late 2016 and early 2017, the Wall Street Journal says. They are allegedly part of dozens of shipments over several years.

The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is said to have paid North Korea via a number of front companies, the newspaper reports.

The report - also seen by the Washington Post - was compiled by the UN Panel of Experts, which assesses North Korea&#39;s compliance with UN resolutions.

The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies.

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts. The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say. An as-yet-unreleased UN report also says Pyongyang's missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making facilities, the New York Times says. The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies. North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme. The supplies reported to have been illicitly sent to Syria by North Korea included high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers. The tiles are said to be used to construct facilities where chemical weapons are produced. Five shipments were sent to Syria via a Chinese trading firm during late 2016 and early 2017, the Wall Street Journal says. They are allegedly part of dozens of shipments over several years. The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is said to have paid North Korea via a number of front companies, the newspaper reports. The report - also seen by the Washington Post - was compiled by the UN Panel of Experts, which assesses North Korea's compliance with UN resolutions.

North Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories': UN experts

The world&#39;s chemical weapons watchdog is investigating recent attacks in the besieged, rebel-held Syrian region of eastern Ghouta to determine whether banned munitions were used, sources told Reuters.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday into reports of the repeated use of chlorine bombs this month in the district near the Syrian capital, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

Political leaders in France, the United States and the United Kingdom said this month they would back targeted military action against Damascus if there were proof of chemical weapons use by forces under President Bashar al-Assad.

The investigation comes as Russia ordered the establishment of an evacuation corridor and five-hour daily truce to allow residents to leave eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

Among the attacks the OPCW`s fact-finding team will examine is one on Sunday which local health authorities said killed a child and caused symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine gas, the sources said.

The OPCW did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the operation in public.&nbsp;

Use of chlorine as a chemical weapons is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. If inhaled, chlorine gas turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs and the build-up of fluids can drown victims.

The latest OPCW mission is seeking to determine whether chemical weapons were used in violation of the international weapons convention which Syria signed in 2013 after hundreds died in a massive sarin gas attack in Ghouta.&nbsp;

The OPCW will not assign blame.

The team does not intend to travel to Ghouta because of safety concerns - two previous visits by inspectors in 2013 and 2014 were ambushed - but will gather witness testimony, photographic and video evidence, and interview medical experts.

The United States fired 59 cruise missiles at Syria&#39;s Shayrat airbase in April, saying it had been used by Assad&#39;s forces to carry out a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, many of them women and children.

Syria and its close ally Russia, which provides military support to Assad&#39;s forces, deny using chemical weapons and blame insurgents.

A U.N.-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, established by the United Nations to identify those responsible for chemical weapons attacks, concluded in 2016 that Syrian government forces had used chlorine as a chemical weapon in three cases.&nbsp;

It concluded last year that Syrian government forces were also behind the sarin nerve agent attack on Khan Sheikhoun. A renewal of the mission&#39;s mandate was vetoed by Moscow at the UN&nbsp;Security Council.

The use of chemical weapons has become systematic in Syria&#39;s seven-year war, but political rifts between Western powers and Russia have hamstrung the United Nations and the OPCW, leaving them unable to act against violations of international law.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday

The world's chemical weapons watchdog is investigating recent attacks in the besieged, rebel-held Syrian region of eastern Ghouta to determine whether banned munitions were used, sources told Reuters. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday into reports of the repeated use of chlorine bombs this month in the district near the Syrian capital, diplomatic sources told Reuters. Political leaders in France, the United States and the United Kingdom said this month they would back targeted military action against Damascus if there were proof of chemical weapons use by forces under President Bashar al-Assad. The investigation comes as Russia ordered the establishment of an evacuation corridor and five-hour daily truce to allow residents to leave eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. Among the attacks the OPCW`s fact-finding team will examine is one on Sunday which local health authorities said killed a child and caused symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine gas, the sources said. The OPCW did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the operation in public. Use of chlorine as a chemical weapons is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. If inhaled, chlorine gas turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs and the build-up of fluids can drown victims. The latest OPCW mission is seeking to determine whether chemical weapons were used in violation of the international weapons convention which Syria signed in 2013 after hundreds died in a massive sarin gas attack in Ghouta. The OPCW will not assign blame. The team does not intend to travel to Ghouta because of safety concerns - two previous visits by inspectors in 2013 and 2014 were ambushed - but will gather witness testimony, photographic and video evidence, and interview medical experts. The United States fired 59 cruise missiles at Syria's Shayrat airbase in April, saying it had been used by Assad's forces to carry out a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, many of them women and children. Syria and its close ally Russia, which provides military support to Assad's forces, deny using chemical weapons and blame insurgents. A U.N.-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, established by the United Nations to identify those responsible for chemical weapons attacks, concluded in 2016 that Syrian government forces had used chlorine as a chemical weapon in three cases. It concluded last year that Syrian government forces were also behind the sarin nerve agent attack on Khan Sheikhoun. A renewal of the mission's mandate was vetoed by Moscow at the UN Security Council. The use of chemical weapons has become systematic in Syria's seven-year war, but political rifts between Western powers and Russia have hamstrung the United Nations and the OPCW, leaving them unable to act against violations of international law.

Chemical weapons watchdog investigates Ghouta attacks

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-nagaland-to-go-to-polls-today-34157">Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland</a>

Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-ghouta-russia-orders-daily-5-hour-truce-34166">Syria&#39;s Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce</a>

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 UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

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President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

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Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday&#39;s win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, Dubai Police say another 'clearance' required before body can be released Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm. Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce 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 UN Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress. PSG's Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

WION Morning News Brief, February 27, 2018

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

Regime airstrikes and shell-firing continued in Eastern Ghouta in Syria with no signs of stoppage despite United Nations Security Council&#39;s call for a 30-day ceasefire, according to Syrian civil defense sources, the White Helmets.

One civilian was killed and scores were injured when the fresh airstrikes and artillery shells loyal to Syria&#39;s Russian-backed president Bashar al-Assad regime were fired into Eastern Ghouta&#39;s Douma, Bayt Sava, and al-Marj regions at around 10.30 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the White Helmets said in a statement.

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-strike-kills-syrian-family-of-nine-in-rebel-held-ghouta-monitor-34139">family of nine</a> was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it.&nbsp;

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday&#39;s Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army&#39;s battle with &quot;terrorists&quot; in eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

He said Russia would introduce a daily humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta from February 27 by the order of President Vladimir Putin for the citizens to leave the war-ravaged Syria.

&quot;A humanitarian corridor will be open for civilians to exit the region every day from 9 am till 2 pm&quot;, Shoigu said.

Meanwhile, Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-ghouta-russia-orders-daily-5-hour-truce-34166">five-hour daily truce </a>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.

In the past eight months, regime forces have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment.

Since February 19, escalating hostilities have resulted in 500 deaths and some 1,500 injuries in Eastern Ghouta, with 24 health facilities impacted by shelling and airstrikes, according to UN officials.

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with 'terrorists' in eastern Ghouta

Regime airstrikes and shell-firing continued in Eastern Ghouta in Syria with no signs of stoppage despite United Nations Security Council's call for a 30-day ceasefire, according to Syrian civil defense sources, the White Helmets. One civilian was killed and scores were injured when the fresh airstrikes and artillery shells loyal to Syria's Russian-backed president Bashar al-Assad regime were fired into Eastern Ghouta's Douma, Bayt Sava, and al-Marj regions at around 10.30 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the White Helmets said in a statement. A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it. Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with "terrorists" in eastern Ghouta. Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. He said Russia would introduce a daily humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta from February 27 by the order of President Vladimir Putin for the citizens to leave the war-ravaged Syria. "A humanitarian corridor will be open for civilians to exit the region every day from 9 am till 2 pm", Shoigu said. Meanwhile, 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. In the past eight months, regime forces have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment. Since February 19, escalating hostilities have resulted in 500 deaths and some 1,500 injuries in Eastern Ghouta, with 24 health facilities impacted by shelling and airstrikes, according to UN officials.

Airstrikes continue in Syria despite UN's ceasefire call

UN rights chief Antonio Guterres urged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/strikes-clashes-hit-syrias-ghouta-despite-ceasefire-call-34026">US, China, and Russia to end &quot;pernicious&quot;</a> Security Council vetoes while condemning the &quot;prolific slaughterhouses&quot; in Syria and other conflicts

The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be &quot;immediately implemented and sustained.&quot;&nbsp;

The UN chief stressed that &quot;Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented, and that is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained.&quot;

UN members approved a ceasefire in Syria on Saturday after weeks of wrangling over the issue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier called the conflict &nbsp;&quot;Hell on Earth&quot;.

The resolution was stuck after Russia demanded that the rebel group fighting President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces also comply with the resolution. After protracted talks, the resolution was finally passed unanimously ensuring a 30-day ceasefire in the war-torn country.

The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far.

In November, Russia had used its veto to end a UN-backed investigation of chemical weapons in Syria.

In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey had signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

 
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The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be "immediately implemented and sustained."

UN rights chief Antonio Guterres urged US, China, and Russia to end "pernicious" Security Council vetoes while condemning the "prolific slaughterhouses" in Syria and other conflicts The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be "immediately implemented and sustained." The UN chief stressed that "Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented, and that is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained." UN members approved a ceasefire in Syria on Saturday after weeks of wrangling over the issue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier called the conflict "Hell on Earth". The resolution was stuck after Russia demanded that the rebel group fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces also comply with the resolution. After protracted talks, the resolution was finally passed unanimously ensuring a 30-day ceasefire in the war-torn country. The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far. In November, Russia had used its veto to end a UN-backed investigation of chemical weapons in Syria. In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey had signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

US, China and Russia should end 'pernicious' Security Council vetoes: UN chief

Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said Monday.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq

Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said Monday. The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Strikes on east Syria's last IS pocket kill 25 civilians

A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it.&nbsp;

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday&#39;s Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army&#39;s battle with &quot;terrorists&quot; in eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

&quot;Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&quot; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the 30-day ceasefire.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has steadily clawed back control of areas where his opponents rose up against his rule in 2011. Eastern Ghouta is the last major insurgent stronghold near Damascus, the seat of his power.

Fighting is raging elsewhere in Syria too, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a US-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east.

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria&#39;s seven-year war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.

It said two bodies had been pulled from the rubble of a home destroyed by an air strike in the Ghouta town of Douma, with seven others from the same family dead underneath.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council, including Russia, approved the resolution demanding a 30-day truce on Saturday. The intensity of the bombardment has diminished since then but has still killed more than two dozen people, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

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.

A Western diplomat in Geneva said it was &quot;not clear if (the truce) will be implemented today or tomorrow, or at all&quot;, adding: &quot;The situation is catastrophic if not out of control.&quot;&nbsp;

Relative lull

In eastern Ghouta, people were making use of a relative lull in the bombardment 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.&nbsp;

Iran`s military chief of staff said on Sunday that pro-Damascus forces would press ahead with the offensive in the Damascus suburbs, saying the ceasefire did not cover parts of the Damascus suburbs &quot;held by the terrorists&quot;.

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.&nbsp;

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.

&quot;Partners of al-Nusra are not protected by the ceasefire regime. They are also subject to the legitimate actions of Syrian armed forces and all those who support the Syrian army,&quot; said Lavrov.&nbsp;

In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been battling each other in recent days, rather than working in partnership.&nbsp;

Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. 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.&nbsp;

Chemical weapons

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.&nbsp;

Russia accused rebels of preparing to use toxic agents in eastern Ghouta so they could later accuse Damascus of employing chemical weapons.

In recent weeks, the United States has accused Syria of repeatedly using chlorine gas as a weapon. Rebel-held areas of the Ghouta region were hit in a major chemical attack in 2013.

Last year, a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017, attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens.

The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.

 
&nbsp;

A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it

A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it. Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with "terrorists" in eastern Ghouta. Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. "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 the 30-day ceasefire. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has steadily clawed back control of areas where his opponents rose up against his rule in 2011. Eastern Ghouta is the last major insurgent stronghold near Damascus, the seat of his power. Fighting is raging elsewhere in Syria too, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a US-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east. The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria's seven-year war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. It said two bodies had been pulled from the rubble of a home destroyed by an air strike in the Ghouta town of Douma, with seven others from the same family dead underneath. The UN Security Council, including Russia, approved the resolution demanding a 30-day truce on Saturday. The intensity of the bombardment has diminished since then but has still killed more than two dozen people, the Observatory said. 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. A Western diplomat in Geneva said it was "not clear if (the truce) will be implemented today or tomorrow, or at all", adding: "The situation is catastrophic if not out of control." Relative lull In eastern Ghouta, people were making use of a relative lull in the bombardment 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. Iran`s military chief of staff said on Sunday that pro-Damascus forces would press ahead with the offensive in the Damascus suburbs, saying the ceasefire did not cover parts of the Damascus suburbs "held by the terrorists". 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. "Partners of al-Nusra are not protected by the ceasefire regime. They are also subject to the legitimate actions of Syrian armed forces and all those who support the Syrian army," said Lavrov. In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been battling each other in recent days, rather than working in partnership. Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. 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. Chemical weapons 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. Russia accused rebels of preparing to use toxic agents in eastern Ghouta so they could later accuse Damascus of employing chemical weapons. In recent weeks, the United States has accused Syria of repeatedly using chlorine gas as a weapon. Rebel-held areas of the Ghouta region were hit in a major chemical attack in 2013. Last year, a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017, attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens. The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.

Air strike kills Syrian family of nine in rebel-held Ghouta: Monitor

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria&#39;s rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday despite a UN call for a ceasefire to end one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria&#39;s civil war.

After days of diplomatic wrangling, the Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria without delay, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces launched a major bombing campaign against the enclave on the edge of Damascus a week ago, with over 500 people killed so far.

However, the UN resolution remains unclear as to when and how broadly the ceasefire could be implemented.

Russia is a key ally of Assad&#39;s regime and in a phone call on Sunday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence. &nbsp;

They called on Russia to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting, Merkel&#39;s office said in a statement.

Reportedly, seven civilians were killed in strikes on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 527, including 129 children.

Although there appeared to be fewer air strikes, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said, fighting had intensified on the ground.

Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, he said, with at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group killed.

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday despite a UN call for a ceasefire to end one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war. After days of diplomatic wrangling, the Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria without delay, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations. President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a major bombing campaign against the enclave on the edge of Damascus a week ago, with over 500 people killed so far. However, the UN resolution remains unclear as to when and how broadly the ceasefire could be implemented. Russia is a key ally of Assad's regime and in a phone call on Sunday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence. They called on Russia to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting, Merkel's office said in a statement. Reportedly, seven civilians were killed in strikes on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 527, including 129 children. Although there appeared to be fewer air strikes, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said, fighting had intensified on the ground. Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, he said, with at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group killed.

Strikes, clashes hit Syria's Ghouta despite ceasefire call

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to &quot;war activities&quot; there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as &quot;Hell on Earth&quot;, according to media reports.

Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war.

Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces should comply with the resolution.

Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government.

The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise.

The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants.

They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as &quot;human shields&quot;.

Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment.

The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution.

In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday&#39;s strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement.

Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years.

In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to "war activities" there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as "Hell on Earth", according to media reports. Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war. Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces should comply with the resolution. Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government. The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise. The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants. They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as "human shields". Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution. In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement. Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years. In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria. The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

Syria war: UN Security Council approves 30-day ceasefire as death toll in rebel enclave tops 500

New air strikes on the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday took the civilian death toll from seven days of devastating bombardment to more than 500 after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. 
 
A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 32 civilians were killed in Saturday&#39;s strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, it said. 
 
The Observatory has said the air strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. 
 
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia&#39;s recent actions in Syria were a &quot;disgrace&quot;.

The UN Security Council on Friday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-to-vote-on-syria-ceasefire-today-33806">delayed to 19:30 GMT</a>&nbsp;a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said.

Negotiations were continuing to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-blocks-un-resolution-on-ceasefire-in-syria-33759">avoid a Russia veto of the text&nbsp;</a>that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

Turkey urged the international community to end the bloodshed in Eastern Ghouta. &quot;The world should say stop to this massacre,&quot; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said on Twitter. 
 
Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two main Islamist factions, while Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate is also present, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. 
 
Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused.

During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause.

Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. 
 
The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. 
 
In one of the many unfolding dramas at a Douma field hospital, a young woman amputated from the knee breastfed a 40-day-old infant who had lost his entire family in the bombings. 
 
&quot;She doesn&#39;t know yet that her own daughter has been killed,&quot; a nurse said. 
 
Food supplies have been running dry, with bread no longer available on local markets. 
 
&quot;I haven&#39;t eaten since the day before yesterday,&quot; said a mother in a shelter with her two children in Douma, Eastern Ghouta&#39;s main town. &quot;They haven&#39;t stopped crying for three days.&quot; 
 
The cornered rebels in Eastern Ghouta have been firing back into Damascus, where six civilians were wounded on Saturday, state media said. 
 
Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 
 
At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. 
 
&quot;Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria,&quot; Haley posted on Twitter. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. 
 
Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. 
 
Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire &quot;without delay,&quot; while stopping short of specifying the timing. &nbsp; 
 
A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. 
 
In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with the blacklisted terror groups. 
 
The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges in Syria, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to &quot;cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival&quot;.

A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

New air strikes on the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday took the civilian death toll from seven days of devastating bombardment to more than 500 after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 32 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, it said. The Observatory has said the air strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia's recent actions in Syria were a "disgrace". The UN Security Council on Friday delayed to 19:30 GMT a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said. Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. Turkey urged the international community to end the bloodshed in Eastern Ghouta. "The world should say stop to this massacre," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Twitter. Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two main Islamist factions, while Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate is also present, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused. During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause. Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. In one of the many unfolding dramas at a Douma field hospital, a young woman amputated from the knee breastfed a 40-day-old infant who had lost his entire family in the bombings. "She doesn't know yet that her own daughter has been killed," a nurse said. Food supplies have been running dry, with bread no longer available on local markets. "I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday," said a mother in a shelter with her two children in Douma, Eastern Ghouta's main town. "They haven't stopped crying for three days." The cornered rebels in Eastern Ghouta have been firing back into Damascus, where six civilians were wounded on Saturday, state media said. Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. "Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria," Haley posted on Twitter. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire "without delay," while stopping short of specifying the timing. A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with the blacklisted terror groups. The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges in Syria, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to "cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival".

Death toll in Syria enclave tops 500 after UN delays truce vote

Deadly air strikes hit the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a seventh straight day on Saturday after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. 
 
The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 21 civilians were killed in fresh strikes on Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, including 12 in the main town of Douma. 
 
It has said the strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. 
 
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia&#39;s recent actions in Syria were a &quot;disgrace&quot;. 
 
Friday&#39;s civilian death toll in the enclave -- under siege by the Syrian army since 2013 -- totalled 41, including 17 children, according to the Observatory. 
 
The UN Security Council had been due to hold a vote on Friday on a resolution calling for a month-long ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of seriously wounded civilians. 
 
But the vote was postponed until 1700 GMT on Saturday as Western powers bickered with Russia over the wording. 
 
Rebel fire on Damascus

Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two Islamist factions and Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. 
 
Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. 
 
But all three rebel groups have refused. 
 
World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. 
 
The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. 
 
The rebels have been firing back into Damascus, where a hospital was hit on Friday, state news agency SANA reported.&nbsp; 
 
At least 16 civilians have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Unbelievable&#39;&nbsp;

At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. 
 
&quot;Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria,&quot; Haley posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;How many more people will die before the Security Council agrees to take up this vote?&nbsp;Let&#39;s do this tonight.&nbsp;The Syrian people can&#39;t wait.&quot; 
 
Russia has vetoed 11 draft resolutions on Syria to block action that targeted its ally. In November, it used its veto to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. 
 
Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin.&nbsp; 
 
Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire &quot;without delay,&quot; while stopping short of specifying the timing. &nbsp; 
 
A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. 
 
In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with the blacklisted terror groups. 
 
The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to &quot;cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival.&quot;

The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Deadly air strikes hit the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a seventh straight day on Saturday after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 21 civilians were killed in fresh strikes on Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, including 12 in the main town of Douma. It has said the strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia's recent actions in Syria were a "disgrace". Friday's civilian death toll in the enclave -- under siege by the Syrian army since 2013 -- totalled 41, including 17 children, according to the Observatory. The UN Security Council had been due to hold a vote on Friday on a resolution calling for a month-long ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of seriously wounded civilians. But the vote was postponed until 1700 GMT on Saturday as Western powers bickered with Russia over the wording. Rebel fire on Damascus Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two Islamist factions and Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. The rebels have been firing back into Damascus, where a hospital was hit on Friday, state news agency SANA reported. At least 16 civilians have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 'Unbelievable' At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. "Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria," Haley posted on Twitter. "How many more people will die before the Security Council agrees to take up this vote? Let's do this tonight. The Syrian people can't wait." Russia has vetoed 11 draft resolutions on Syria to block action that targeted its ally. In November, it used its veto to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire "without delay," while stopping short of specifying the timing. A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with the blacklisted terror groups. The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to "cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival."

New strikes hit Syria enclave after UN delays truce vote, 21 civilians killed

The UN Security Council will vote Friday at 1600 GMT on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, diplomats said.

A slightly amended text was circulated to council members, but it was unclear whether Russia would support the measure.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told a council meeting on Thursday that there was &quot;no agreement&quot; on a truce and presented a new raft of amendments.

Negotiations on the draft have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Also&nbsp;read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-blocks-un-resolution-on-ceasefire-in-syria-33759"> Russia blocks UN resolution on ceasefire in Syria</a>

Sweden and Kuwait presented the proposed measure on February 9.

The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council &quot;demands&quot; a ceasefire, instead of &quot;decides&quot;.

It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two terror groups.

More than 400 people have been killed in the five-day assault by the government on Eastern Ghouta, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said 400,000 Syrians are living in &quot;hell on earth.&quot; 
&nbsp;

The UN Security Council will vote at 1600 GMT on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, diplomats said

The UN Security Council will vote Friday at 1600 GMT on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, diplomats said. A slightly amended text was circulated to council members, but it was unclear whether Russia would support the measure. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told a council meeting on Thursday that there was "no agreement" on a truce and presented a new raft of amendments. Negotiations on the draft have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Also read: Russia blocks UN resolution on ceasefire in Syria Sweden and Kuwait presented the proposed measure on February 9. The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council "demands" a ceasefire, instead of "decides". It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two terror groups. More than 400 people have been killed in the five-day assault by the government on Eastern Ghouta, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said 400,000 Syrians are living in "hell on earth."

UN Security Council to vote on Syria ceasefire today

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage.

More than 450 civilians, including over 100 children, have been killed in nearly a week of bombardment that has been one of the seven-year Syrian conflict&#39;s bloodiest episodes -- and rescuers were searching for more bodies buried in the rubble.

The leaders of France and Germany urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose airforce is also striking Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, to back a 30-day truce at a UN Security Council vote.

The council delayed the crunch vote by over three hours to 1930 GMT, as negotiations went into high gear to avoid a veto from Syrian regime ally Moscow, which has been calling for &quot;guarantees&quot; that the ceasefire would be respected by rebel fighters.

Few of Eastern Ghouta&#39;s nearly 400,000 residents -- mostly living in a scattering of towns across the semi-rural area east of the capital -- ventured out on Friday.

An AFP correspondent in Douma, the enclave&#39;s main town, saw a handful of people stealthily crossing rubble-strewn streets to assess damage to their property or look for food and water.

He said rescuers carried a young boy wounded in the eye, blood trickling down his face, to one of the town&#39;s hospitals. &quot;Will I see again?,&quot; he asked a doctor.

Death has fallen from the sky relentlessly since government and allied forces intensified their bombardment on Sunday and rocket fire soon forced everybody to run for cover.

Exhausted and famished families cowered in cramped and damp basements, exchanging information on the latest casualties of the government&#39;s blitz.

Some of the only people braving the threat of more bombardment were medical staff in those hospitals still standing and rescuers sifting through the wreckage of levelled buildings.

Trapped bodies 
 
Fresh strikes on Friday, by the Syria regime and its Russian ally, killed at least 32 civilians, including six children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted different areas of Eastern Ghouta.

The latest deaths brought to 462 the number of people killed -- including 103 children -- since the regime and Russia intensified their bombardment of the besieged area on February 18.&nbsp;

More than 2,000 people have been wounded.

Rebels have been firing back into the capital Damascus, where on Friday a hospital was hit, the official Syrian news agency SANA said.

Diplomats at the United Nations failed to clinch Russian approval late Thursday on a resolution calling for a 30-day truce to allow for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.

They then announced that a vote would take place on Friday, but it was delayed twice amid staunch Russian resistance.

Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Putin to ask him to back the ceasefire.

The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council &quot;demands&quot; a ceasefire instead of &quot;decides&quot;.

It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two groups.

World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed.

&quot;The UN says it is concerned and calls for a ceasefire, France condemns, but they have given us nothing,&quot; said Abu Mustafa, one of the few civilians on the streets of Douma Friday morning.

&quot;Every day we have strikes, destruction. This would draw tears from a rock,&quot; said the 50-year-old, who was escorting a wounded person to hospital.

Toothless response

The enclave has been controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups since 2012.&nbsp;

The main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta rejected in a statement released Friday any deal that would see them or other residents relocated.

&quot;We categorically reject any initiative providing for inhabitants to leave their homes and be transferred towards any other location,&quot; they said in a letter addressed to Guterres.

The area is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege.

The dire images of civilian victims bleeding to death in understaffed hospitals and the scope of the urban destruction have shocked the world and drawn comparisons with the devastating 2016 battle for Aleppo.

The aid community has voiced its frustration at being prevented from assisting civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which has been under government siege since 2013.

&quot;The blocking of this resolution is another failure to end human suffering in Syria, with the UN Security Council rendered impotent as this senseless war rages on,&quot; Thomas White, Syria director at the Norwegian Refugee Council told AFP.

Government forces have this month reinforced their deployment around the enclave in preparation for a ground offensive that White said would spark an even worse humanitarian crisis.

&quot;If aid agencies are unable to meet urgent needs now, how can we possibly be prepared to tackle what is yet to come,&quot; White said.

 
&nbsp;

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage. More than 450 civilians, including over 100 children, have been killed in nearly a week of bombardment that has been one of the seven-year Syrian conflict's bloodiest episodes -- and rescuers were searching for more bodies buried in the rubble. The leaders of France and Germany urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose airforce is also striking Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, to back a 30-day truce at a UN Security Council vote. The council delayed the crunch vote by over three hours to 1930 GMT, as negotiations went into high gear to avoid a veto from Syrian regime ally Moscow, which has been calling for "guarantees" that the ceasefire would be respected by rebel fighters. Few of Eastern Ghouta's nearly 400,000 residents -- mostly living in a scattering of towns across the semi-rural area east of the capital -- ventured out on Friday. An AFP correspondent in Douma, the enclave's main town, saw a handful of people stealthily crossing rubble-strewn streets to assess damage to their property or look for food and water. He said rescuers carried a young boy wounded in the eye, blood trickling down his face, to one of the town's hospitals. "Will I see again?," he asked a doctor. Death has fallen from the sky relentlessly since government and allied forces intensified their bombardment on Sunday and rocket fire soon forced everybody to run for cover. Exhausted and famished families cowered in cramped and damp basements, exchanging information on the latest casualties of the government's blitz. Some of the only people braving the threat of more bombardment were medical staff in those hospitals still standing and rescuers sifting through the wreckage of levelled buildings. Trapped bodies Fresh strikes on Friday, by the Syria regime and its Russian ally, killed at least 32 civilians, including six children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted different areas of Eastern Ghouta. The latest deaths brought to 462 the number of people killed -- including 103 children -- since the regime and Russia intensified their bombardment of the besieged area on February 18. More than 2,000 people have been wounded. Rebels have been firing back into the capital Damascus, where on Friday a hospital was hit, the official Syrian news agency SANA said. Diplomats at the United Nations failed to clinch Russian approval late Thursday on a resolution calling for a 30-day truce to allow for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations. They then announced that a vote would take place on Friday, but it was delayed twice amid staunch Russian resistance. Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Putin to ask him to back the ceasefire. The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council "demands" a ceasefire instead of "decides". It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two groups. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. "The UN says it is concerned and calls for a ceasefire, France condemns, but they have given us nothing," said Abu Mustafa, one of the few civilians on the streets of Douma Friday morning. "Every day we have strikes, destruction. This would draw tears from a rock," said the 50-year-old, who was escorting a wounded person to hospital. Toothless response The enclave has been controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups since 2012. The main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta rejected in a statement released Friday any deal that would see them or other residents relocated. "We categorically reject any initiative providing for inhabitants to leave their homes and be transferred towards any other location," they said in a letter addressed to Guterres. The area is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. The dire images of civilian victims bleeding to death in understaffed hospitals and the scope of the urban destruction have shocked the world and drawn comparisons with the devastating 2016 battle for Aleppo. The aid community has voiced its frustration at being prevented from assisting civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which has been under government siege since 2013. "The blocking of this resolution is another failure to end human suffering in Syria, with the UN Security Council rendered impotent as this senseless war rages on," Thomas White, Syria director at the Norwegian Refugee Council told AFP. Government forces have this month reinforced their deployment around the enclave in preparation for a ground offensive that White said would spark an even worse humanitarian crisis. "If aid agencies are unable to meet urgent needs now, how can we possibly be prepared to tackle what is yet to come," White said.

Strikes pound Syria's Eastern Ghouta as world fumbles for response

The UN Security Council on Friday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-to-vote-on-syria-ceasefire-today-33806">delayed to 19:30 GMT</a> a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said.

Negotiations were continuing to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-blocks-un-resolution-on-ceasefire-in-syria-33759">avoid a Russia veto of the text </a>that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

More than 400 civilians have been killed as Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire pound the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, in one of the seven-year conflict&#39;s bloodiest episodes.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote to Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin on Friday urging him to back a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Syria, France&#39;s presidency said.

The letter, sent while Macron and Merkel were at an EU summit in Brussels, asked Russia to support the draft resolution calling for a 30-day truce in Syria, mainly to allow aid to reach besieged Eastern Ghouta and allow evacuations, said the presidency.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called for an immediate ceasefire and aid deliveries in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations

The UN Security Council on Friday delayed to 19:30 GMT a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said. Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. More than 400 civilians have been killed as Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire pound the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, in one of the seven-year conflict's bloodiest episodes. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote to Russia's Vladimir Putin on Friday urging him to back a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Syria, France's presidency said. The letter, sent while Macron and Merkel were at an EU summit in Brussels, asked Russia to support the draft resolution calling for a 30-day truce in Syria, mainly to allow aid to reach besieged Eastern Ghouta and allow evacuations, said the presidency. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called for an immediate ceasefire and aid deliveries in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

UN vote on Syria ceasefire delayed to 19:30 GMT

After two weeks of negotiations, Russia on Thursday told the UN Security Council that there was still no agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, dimming hopes of international action to halt the carnage in Eastern Ghouta.

During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause.

Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Nebenzia told the council that Sweden and Kuwait had requested a vote on the draft resolution even though they are &quot;fully aware there is no agreement on it.&quot; 
The Security Council needs to reach a &quot;feasible&quot; agreement on a ceasefire and not take a decision that would be &quot;severed from reality,&quot; said Nebenzia before circulating an amended text.

UN diplomats resumed talks in a last-ditch bid to avoid a Russian veto and a vote at the council was now considered for Friday.

&quot;We are trying to find a way forward,&quot; Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said after the meeting, adding that he was &quot;leaning towards a vote&quot; on Friday.

The United States, France and Britain called for a quick vote to address the acute crisis on the ground.

&quot;The United States is ready to vote on this resolution right here and right now,&quot; said US diplomat Kelley Currie.

&quot;The assault from the regime is relentless, and the suffering is overwhelming.&quot;

The US State Department later joined in the criticism, saying Russia had a &quot;unique responsibility&quot; for the situation in Eastern Ghouta.

&quot;Without Russia backing Syria, the devastation and the deaths would certainly not be occurring,&quot; spokeswoman Heather Nauert told journalists.

&quot;It is a good reminder that Russia bears a unique responsibility for what is taking place there.&quot;

Outside UN headquarters in New York, a coalition of aid groups put up three billboards, inspired by the film &quot;Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri&quot; that said &quot;500,000 dead in Syria. And still no action? How come Security Council?&quot;More than 400 people have been killed in the five-day assault by the government on Eastern Ghouta, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said 400,000 Syrians are living in &quot;hell on earth.&quot;

In his address to the council, Nebenzia cited concerns over enforcing the ceasefire and questioned the feasibility of quickly launching a major aid operation to reach civilians and lift sieges.

He accused supporters of the ceasefire of seeking to create &quot;a scandal in order to step up pressure on the Syrian government and taint the Russian government.&quot;

The draft resolution would pave the way for the truce to go into effect 72 hours after the adoption of the measure and for aid deliveries and medical evacuations to begin 48 hours after that.

It demands the immediate lifting of all sieges including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya and orders all sides to &quot;cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival.&quot;

In a concession to Russia, the draft was amended during tough-going negotiations last week to specify that the ceasefire does not apply to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.

That would allow the Syrian government offensive to continue against Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in Idlib, the last province in Syria outside the control of Damascus. 
The Russian-drafted text, obtained by AFP, specified that aid deliveries would happen &quot;as security conditions permit&quot; and added that &quot;foreign military forces can operate in Syria only in coordination with its official authorities.&quot;

&quot;The Russian amendments are unacceptable,&quot; said a Security Council diplomat.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre warned that failure to act to help Eastern Ghouta would deal a blow to UN credibility and could sound &quot;the death knell of the United Nations.&quot;

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in the war, which next month enters its eighth year with no end in sight.

UN diplomats resumed talks in a last-ditch bid to avoid a Russian veto and a vote at the council was now considered for Friday

After two weeks of negotiations, Russia on Thursday told the UN Security Council that there was still no agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, dimming hopes of international action to halt the carnage in Eastern Ghouta. During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause. Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Nebenzia told the council that Sweden and Kuwait had requested a vote on the draft resolution even though they are "fully aware there is no agreement on it." The Security Council needs to reach a "feasible" agreement on a ceasefire and not take a decision that would be "severed from reality," said Nebenzia before circulating an amended text. UN diplomats resumed talks in a last-ditch bid to avoid a Russian veto and a vote at the council was now considered for Friday. "We are trying to find a way forward," Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said after the meeting, adding that he was "leaning towards a vote" on Friday. The United States, France and Britain called for a quick vote to address the acute crisis on the ground. "The United States is ready to vote on this resolution right here and right now," said US diplomat Kelley Currie. "The assault from the regime is relentless, and the suffering is overwhelming." The US State Department later joined in the criticism, saying Russia had a "unique responsibility" for the situation in Eastern Ghouta. "Without Russia backing Syria, the devastation and the deaths would certainly not be occurring," spokeswoman Heather Nauert told journalists. "It is a good reminder that Russia bears a unique responsibility for what is taking place there." Outside UN headquarters in New York, a coalition of aid groups put up three billboards, inspired by the film "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" that said "500,000 dead in Syria. And still no action? How come Security Council?"More than 400 people have been killed in the five-day assault by the government on Eastern Ghouta, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said 400,000 Syrians are living in "hell on earth." In his address to the council, Nebenzia cited concerns over enforcing the ceasefire and questioned the feasibility of quickly launching a major aid operation to reach civilians and lift sieges. He accused supporters of the ceasefire of seeking to create "a scandal in order to step up pressure on the Syrian government and taint the Russian government." The draft resolution would pave the way for the truce to go into effect 72 hours after the adoption of the measure and for aid deliveries and medical evacuations to begin 48 hours after that. It demands the immediate lifting of all sieges including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya and orders all sides to "cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival." In a concession to Russia, the draft was amended during tough-going negotiations last week to specify that the ceasefire does not apply to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda. That would allow the Syrian government offensive to continue against Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in Idlib, the last province in Syria outside the control of Damascus. The Russian-drafted text, obtained by AFP, specified that aid deliveries would happen "as security conditions permit" and added that "foreign military forces can operate in Syria only in coordination with its official authorities." "The Russian amendments are unacceptable," said a Security Council diplomat. French Ambassador Francois Delattre warned that failure to act to help Eastern Ghouta would deal a blow to UN credibility and could sound "the death knell of the United Nations." More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in the war, which next month enters its eighth year with no end in sight.

Russia blocks UN resolution on ceasefire in Syria

The death toll for the shelling and airstrikes in Syria&rsquo;s Eastern Ghouta has increased to 250 in the last 48-hours, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said. More than 1,200 people were wounded by the Syrian regime shelling and airstrikes on the besieged Damascus suburb, which rights activists and residents described as being under &ldquo;constant bombardment.&rdquo;

The monitoring group said the death toll is the highest since the 2013 alleged chemical attack on eastern Ghouta, which activists say killed approximately 1,400 people.

The UN has warned that the situation is &quot;spiralling out of control&quot;.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-opposition-condemns-ghouta-bloodbath-33531">Syria opposition condemns Ghouta &#39;bloodbath&#39; </a>

Meanwhile, the Damascus government has sent forces to confront Turkish troops who have crossed the border to push back the Kurds in northern Syria.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-warns-syrian-forces-entering-afrin-face-serious-consequences-33615">Turkey warned </a>on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face &quot;serious consequences&quot; and they will be regarded as legitimate targets.

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria&#39;s Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said.

On the outskirts of Damascus, air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have been battering the Eastern Ghouta enclave in apparent preparation for a government ground assault.

Bombardment on Tuesday killed 106 civilians, including 19 children, the Britain-based war monitor said.

It was the second straight day that the civilian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-russia-pound-rebel-enclave-over-250-dead-33548">death toll topped </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-russia-pound-rebel-enclave-over-250-dead-33548">100</a>, after 127 were killed Monday in Eastern Ghouta&rsquo;s bloodiest day in four years.

The strikes left an important hospital out of action, further limiting the little medical aid that besieged civilians can access.

The Observatory blamed Russian warplanes, saying Moscow carried out its first strikes in three months on Eastern Ghouta.

 
&nbsp;

The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said and more than 1,200 people were wounded

The death toll for the shelling and airstrikes in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta has increased to 250 in the last 48-hours, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said. More than 1,200 people were wounded by the Syrian regime shelling and airstrikes on the besieged Damascus suburb, which rights activists and residents described as being under “constant bombardment.” The monitoring group said the death toll is the highest since the 2013 alleged chemical attack on eastern Ghouta, which activists say killed approximately 1,400 people. The UN has warned that the situation is "spiralling out of control". Also read: Syria opposition condemns Ghouta 'bloodbath' Meanwhile, the Damascus government has sent forces to confront Turkish troops who have crossed the border to push back the Kurds in northern Syria. Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face "serious consequences" and they will be regarded as legitimate targets. A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said. On the outskirts of Damascus, air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have been battering the Eastern Ghouta enclave in apparent preparation for a government ground assault. Bombardment on Tuesday killed 106 civilians, including 19 children, the Britain-based war monitor said. It was the second straight day that the civilian death toll topped 100, after 127 were killed Monday in Eastern Ghouta’s bloodiest day in four years. The strikes left an important hospital out of action, further limiting the little medical aid that besieged civilians can access. The Observatory blamed Russian warplanes, saying Moscow carried out its first strikes in three months on Eastern Ghouta.

Death toll increases to 250 in Syria air strikes

Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face &quot;serious consequences&quot; and they will be regarded as legitimate targets.

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria&#39;s Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said.

&quot;Any step by the regime or other elements in this direction will surely have serious consequences,&quot; Ibrahim Kalin told a news conference.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkey&#39;s offensive continued overnight, including shelling of the main Afrin town. A commander in the pro-Assad military alliance told Reuters on Tuesday the forces had turned back after coming under fire, but then resumed their progress and were in Afrin.&nbsp;

Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies launched a military operation last month to drive Kurdish YPG fighters out of Afrin. Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist group and an extension of the PKK which has fought a three-decade insurgency in southeast Turkey.

&quot;Any step there aimed at supporting the... YPG terrorist organisation will mean they are directly siding with terrorist organisations and will, therefore, become legitimate targets for us,&quot; Kalin said.&nbsp;

He also said Turkey was not in direct talks with the Syrian government, but its messages were being conveyed indirectly. 
&nbsp;

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday

Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face "serious consequences" and they will be regarded as legitimate targets. A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said. "Any step by the regime or other elements in this direction will surely have serious consequences," Ibrahim Kalin told a news conference. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkey's offensive continued overnight, including shelling of the main Afrin town. A commander in the pro-Assad military alliance told Reuters on Tuesday the forces had turned back after coming under fire, but then resumed their progress and were in Afrin. Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies launched a military operation last month to drive Kurdish YPG fighters out of Afrin. Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist group and an extension of the PKK which has fought a three-decade insurgency in southeast Turkey. "Any step there aimed at supporting the... YPG terrorist organisation will mean they are directly siding with terrorist organisations and will, therefore, become legitimate targets for us," Kalin said. He also said Turkey was not in direct talks with the Syrian government, but its messages were being conveyed indirectly.

Turkey warns Syrian forces entering Afrin face serious consequences

Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

&quot;In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin,&quot; Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament.&nbsp;

His remarks came as Turkey&#39;s ground and air offensive against the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia, viewed as &quot;terrorists&quot; by Ankara, entered its second month.

His remarks came as Turkey's ground and air offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia entered its second month

Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. "In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin," Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament. His remarks came as Turkey's ground and air offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, viewed as "terrorists" by Ankara, entered its second month.

Turkey will lay siege to Syria's Afrin in coming days: Erdogan

Syria`s main opposition group on Tuesday condemned a government offensive in Eastern Ghouta as a &quot;bloodbath&quot; and a &quot;war crime&quot;, saying it may pull out of UN-backed peace talks in protest.

Three days of air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have left nearly 200 civilians dead in the rebel-held enclave near Damascus, with 13 children killed on Tuesday morning alone, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Nasr al-Hariri, president of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) said it was clear the Damascus government had &quot;zero interest to engage&quot; in dialogue.

&quot;The Syrian regime with the direct support of Russia and Iran have turned Ghouta into a bloodbath of innocent women and children,&quot; Hariri told reporters in Brussels after talks with EU officials.

&quot;What`s happening in Ghouta is a war crime. International law is very clear on the matter but in Syria the implementation of international law doesn`t exist.&quot;

The European Union, which is hosting a conference on Syria in Brussels next month, says the near seven-year war can only be resolved through negotiations.

Brussels wants to see fresh impetus for UN-led talks in Geneva, which have made scant progress in eight rounds.

Hariri said the Syrian opposition had done its best to make progress in talks, but when asked if he would consider withdrawing in protest at the latest violence, he warned: &quot;We are studying all the options&quot;.

&quot;Just see what they are doing in Ghouta. We are therefore studying the feasibility of the current process as we seek to end the suffering of our people,&quot; he added.

The United Nations has warned the situation in Ghouta is &quot;spiralling out of control&quot; and has repeatedly called for a month-long ceasefire across Syria`s front lines, from Eastern Ghouta to the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the northwest, which Turkey threatened on Tuesday to lay siege to in the coming days.

Syria`s main opposition group on Tuesday condemned a government offensive in Eastern Ghouta as a 'bloodbath' and a 'war crime', saying it may pull out of UN-backed peace talks in protest

Syria`s main opposition group on Tuesday condemned a government offensive in Eastern Ghouta as a "bloodbath" and a "war crime", saying it may pull out of UN-backed peace talks in protest. Three days of air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have left nearly 200 civilians dead in the rebel-held enclave near Damascus, with 13 children killed on Tuesday morning alone, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Nasr al-Hariri, president of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) said it was clear the Damascus government had "zero interest to engage" in dialogue. "The Syrian regime with the direct support of Russia and Iran have turned Ghouta into a bloodbath of innocent women and children," Hariri told reporters in Brussels after talks with EU officials. "What`s happening in Ghouta is a war crime. International law is very clear on the matter but in Syria the implementation of international law doesn`t exist." The European Union, which is hosting a conference on Syria in Brussels next month, says the near seven-year war can only be resolved through negotiations. Brussels wants to see fresh impetus for UN-led talks in Geneva, which have made scant progress in eight rounds. Hariri said the Syrian opposition had done its best to make progress in talks, but when asked if he would consider withdrawing in protest at the latest violence, he warned: "We are studying all the options". "Just see what they are doing in Ghouta. We are therefore studying the feasibility of the current process as we seek to end the suffering of our people," he added. The United Nations has warned the situation in Ghouta is "spiralling out of control" and has repeatedly called for a month-long ceasefire across Syria`s front lines, from Eastern Ghouta to the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the northwest, which Turkey threatened on Tuesday to lay siege to in the coming days.

Syria opposition condemns Ghouta 'bloodbath'

Heavy Syrian bombardment killed 44 civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Monday, as regime forces appeared to prepare for an imminent ground assault.

The escalation came as pro-government forces were expected to enter the northern Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, to take a stand against a month-old Turkish assault there.

Held by rebels since 2012, Eastern Ghouta is the last opposition pocket around Damascus and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dispatched reinforcements there in an apparent bid to retake it.

A barrage of air strikes, rocket fire, and artillery slammed into several towns across Eastern Ghouta on Monday, killing 44 civilians and wounding dozens more.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 20 were killed in air strikes on Hammuriyeh and nine others in bombardment on Saqba.&nbsp;

The rest were killed when other areas were pounded. Four children were among the dead.

&quot;The regime is bombing Eastern Ghouta to pave the way for a ground offensive,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.&nbsp;

Residents of Hammuriyeh could be seen rushing inside in a panic as soon as they heard the sound of airplanes.&nbsp;

Alaa al-Din, a 23-year-old Syrian in Hammuriyeh, said civilians were afraid of a potential government offensive.

&quot;Ghouta`s fate is unknown. We`ve got nothing but God`s mercy and hiding out in our basements,&quot; he said on Monday.

&quot;There`s no alternative.&quot;

Shelling also hit the town of Douma, where a media correspondent saw five toddlers brought to a hospital, covered in dust and wailing uncontrollably.&nbsp;

Medics offered them biscuits to calm them down, to no avail.&nbsp;

Eastern Ghouta is held by two main Islamist factions, but jihadists control small pockets including one directly adjacent to the capital.&nbsp;

The Observatory and Syrian daily newspaper Al-Watan had said negotiations were under way for the evacuation of jihadists from Eastern Ghouta.

But escalating military pressure indicate that the regime would opt for a ground assault instead of talks, the monitor said.

Government troops carried out a relentless five-day bombing campaign earlier this month that killed around 250 civilians in the enclave and wounded hundreds.&nbsp;

Around the same time, the monitor said, the regime began dispatching military reinforcements to Eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

After days of relative calm, the government sent more than 260 rockets sailing onto Eastern Ghouta on Sunday.

Those rockets, as well as artillery fire and air strikes, killed 17 civilians, said the Observatory.&nbsp;

The regime is keen to regain control of Eastern Ghouta to halt the deadly salvo of rockets and mortars that rebels fire on Damascus.

About half a dozen rockets hit the capital Sunday night, AFP correspondents said. State news agency SANA reported that one person was killed.

&nbsp;More than 20 civilians have been killed by rebel fire this month alone in regime-held Damascus.

All was quiet in the capital on Monday but since rumours of an imminent assault on Eastern Ghouta started spreading, people living close to the rebel enclave started packing their bags.

Jawad al-Obros, 30, said he was looking to move to a hotel in the western sector of the city to escape his home in an east Damascus neighbourhood that has been regularly hit by rockets from Ghouta.

&quot;We`re tired of this situation. It seems that there`s no solution but a full-blown military one,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;

More than 340,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in 2011 with protests against Assad`s government.&nbsp;

It has since evolved into a war that has carved up the country into rival zones of influence among the regime, rebels, jihadists, and Kurdish forces.&nbsp;

The Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) control the northwestern region of Afrin, target of a month-old assault by the Turkish army and allied Syrian rebels.&nbsp;

Turkey sees the YPG as a &quot;terror&quot; group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), outlawed by Ankara, and wants to clear it from its southern border.&nbsp;

The YPG has controlled Afrin since 2012, when Syrian troops withdrew from it and other Kurdish-majority areas.&nbsp;

Syrian state media said Monday that pro-regime forces were preparing to enter the area to &quot;join the resistance against the Turkish aggression&quot;.

Speaking during a visit to Jordan, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned against any bid by the Syrian regime to help the YPG.

&quot;If the regime is entering (Afrin) to oust the PKK, YPG, there is no problem. But if they are entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us and Turkish soldiers,&quot; Cavusoglu said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Rebel groups in eastern Ghouta fired mortars at areas of Damascus held by the government, killing a child and injuring eight other people, Syrian state media said

Heavy Syrian bombardment killed 44 civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Monday, as regime forces appeared to prepare for an imminent ground assault. The escalation came as pro-government forces were expected to enter the northern Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, to take a stand against a month-old Turkish assault there. Held by rebels since 2012, Eastern Ghouta is the last opposition pocket around Damascus and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dispatched reinforcements there in an apparent bid to retake it. A barrage of air strikes, rocket fire, and artillery slammed into several towns across Eastern Ghouta on Monday, killing 44 civilians and wounding dozens more. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 20 were killed in air strikes on Hammuriyeh and nine others in bombardment on Saqba. The rest were killed when other areas were pounded. Four children were among the dead. "The regime is bombing Eastern Ghouta to pave the way for a ground offensive," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Residents of Hammuriyeh could be seen rushing inside in a panic as soon as they heard the sound of airplanes. Alaa al-Din, a 23-year-old Syrian in Hammuriyeh, said civilians were afraid of a potential government offensive. "Ghouta`s fate is unknown. We`ve got nothing but God`s mercy and hiding out in our basements," he said on Monday. "There`s no alternative." Shelling also hit the town of Douma, where a media correspondent saw five toddlers brought to a hospital, covered in dust and wailing uncontrollably. Medics offered them biscuits to calm them down, to no avail. Eastern Ghouta is held by two main Islamist factions, but jihadists control small pockets including one directly adjacent to the capital. The Observatory and Syrian daily newspaper Al-Watan had said negotiations were under way for the evacuation of jihadists from Eastern Ghouta. But escalating military pressure indicate that the regime would opt for a ground assault instead of talks, the monitor said. Government troops carried out a relentless five-day bombing campaign earlier this month that killed around 250 civilians in the enclave and wounded hundreds. Around the same time, the monitor said, the regime began dispatching military reinforcements to Eastern Ghouta. After days of relative calm, the government sent more than 260 rockets sailing onto Eastern Ghouta on Sunday. Those rockets, as well as artillery fire and air strikes, killed 17 civilians, said the Observatory. The regime is keen to regain control of Eastern Ghouta to halt the deadly salvo of rockets and mortars that rebels fire on Damascus. About half a dozen rockets hit the capital Sunday night, AFP correspondents said. State news agency SANA reported that one person was killed. More than 20 civilians have been killed by rebel fire this month alone in regime-held Damascus. All was quiet in the capital on Monday but since rumours of an imminent assault on Eastern Ghouta started spreading, people living close to the rebel enclave started packing their bags. Jawad al-Obros, 30, said he was looking to move to a hotel in the western sector of the city to escape his home in an east Damascus neighbourhood that has been regularly hit by rockets from Ghouta. "We`re tired of this situation. It seems that there`s no solution but a full-blown military one," he told AFP. More than 340,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in 2011 with protests against Assad`s government. It has since evolved into a war that has carved up the country into rival zones of influence among the regime, rebels, jihadists, and Kurdish forces. The Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) control the northwestern region of Afrin, target of a month-old assault by the Turkish army and allied Syrian rebels. Turkey sees the YPG as a "terror" group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), outlawed by Ankara, and wants to clear it from its southern border. The YPG has controlled Afrin since 2012, when Syrian troops withdrew from it and other Kurdish-majority areas. Syrian state media said Monday that pro-regime forces were preparing to enter the area to "join the resistance against the Turkish aggression". Speaking during a visit to Jordan, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned against any bid by the Syrian regime to help the YPG. "If the regime is entering (Afrin) to oust the PKK, YPG, there is no problem. But if they are entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us and Turkish soldiers," Cavusoglu said.

Syria bombardment kills 44 in rebel enclave as ground assault looms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran on Sunday over aggressions by what he called Iran and its &quot;proxies&quot; in Syria, while showing what he claimed was a piece of an Iranian drone shot down in Israeli airspace.

Saying he had &quot;a message to the tyrants of Tehran&quot; during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, he warned: &quot;Do not test Israel&#39;s resolve.&quot;

He brandished a rectangular piece of dark green metal which he called &quot;a piece of that Iranian drone, or what&#39;s left of it, after we shot it down.&quot;

Israel has said it shot down the drone on February 10 after it entered the country from Syria, and responded with a raid on what it said was the Iranian control systems for the craft in Syria.

It marked the first time Israel publicly acknowledged hitting Iranian targets in Syria since the 2011 start of the civil war there.

During the strikes, one of Israel&#39;s F-16 fighter jets was shot down, believed to be the first loss of an Israeli plane in combat since 1982.

Calling Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the &quot;smooth-talking mouthpiece of Iran&#39;s regime,&quot; Netanyahu said: &quot;Mr Zarif, do you recognise this? You should, it&#39;s yours.&quot;

Again referring to Zarif, who is scheduled to speak later in Munich, the Israeli leader said: &quot;No doubt Mr Zarif will brazenly deny Iran&#39;s involvement in Syria.&quot;

&quot;He lies with eloquence.&quot;

&#39;Noose of terror&#39; &nbsp;

The Israeli military has claimed the drone was a copy of a US model captured by Iran in 2011, based on an analysis of the drone&#39;s debris.

Tensions between the two countries have been building in recent months, with Israel fearing that Tehran is trying to establish a permanent presence in Syria as part of an effort to become a greater regional power in the Middle East.

At the same time, Syria appears to feel it now has the upper hand in the civil war and is more emboldened to stop Israeli air raids inside the country, analysts say.

But Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would not let Iran obtain a permanent foothold in its northern neighbour.

&quot;Through its proxies -- Shiite militias in Iraq, the Huthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza -- Iran is devouring huge swathes of the Middle East,&quot; he said.

&quot;Israel will not allow Iran&#39;s regime to put a noose of terror around our neck,&quot; he added.

&quot;We will act without hesitation to defend ourselves. And we will act if necessary not just against Iran&#39;s proxies that are attacking us, but against Iran itself.&quot;

But he stressed that Israel was not the enemy of the Iranian people, and offered his condolences to the families of the 66 people killed in an Iranian plane crash Sunday.

&quot;We have no quarrel with the people of Iran, only with the regime that torments them,&quot; Netanyahu said.

He brandished a rectangular piece of dark green metal which he called "a piece of that Iranian drone, or what's left of it, after we shot it down."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran on Sunday over aggressions by what he called Iran and its "proxies" in Syria, while showing what he claimed was a piece of an Iranian drone shot down in Israeli airspace. Saying he had "a message to the tyrants of Tehran" during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, he warned: "Do not test Israel's resolve." He brandished a rectangular piece of dark green metal which he called "a piece of that Iranian drone, or what's left of it, after we shot it down." Israel has said it shot down the drone on February 10 after it entered the country from Syria, and responded with a raid on what it said was the Iranian control systems for the craft in Syria. It marked the first time Israel publicly acknowledged hitting Iranian targets in Syria since the 2011 start of the civil war there. During the strikes, one of Israel's F-16 fighter jets was shot down, believed to be the first loss of an Israeli plane in combat since 1982. Calling Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the "smooth-talking mouthpiece of Iran's regime," Netanyahu said: "Mr Zarif, do you recognise this? You should, it's yours." Again referring to Zarif, who is scheduled to speak later in Munich, the Israeli leader said: "No doubt Mr Zarif will brazenly deny Iran's involvement in Syria." "He lies with eloquence." 'Noose of terror' The Israeli military has claimed the drone was a copy of a US model captured by Iran in 2011, based on an analysis of the drone's debris. Tensions between the two countries have been building in recent months, with Israel fearing that Tehran is trying to establish a permanent presence in Syria as part of an effort to become a greater regional power in the Middle East. At the same time, Syria appears to feel it now has the upper hand in the civil war and is more emboldened to stop Israeli air raids inside the country, analysts say. But Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would not let Iran obtain a permanent foothold in its northern neighbour. "Through its proxies -- Shiite militias in Iraq, the Huthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza -- Iran is devouring huge swathes of the Middle East," he said. "Israel will not allow Iran's regime to put a noose of terror around our neck," he added. "We will act without hesitation to defend ourselves. And we will act if necessary not just against Iran's proxies that are attacking us, but against Iran itself." But he stressed that Israel was not the enemy of the Iranian people, and offered his condolences to the families of the 66 people killed in an Iranian plane crash Sunday. "We have no quarrel with the people of Iran, only with the regime that torments them," Netanyahu said.

'Do not test Israel', Netanyahu tells Iran, brandishing drone 'piece'

Turkey never used chemical weapons in its operations in Syria, and takes the utmost care of civilians, a Turkish diplomatic source said, after Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group accused it of carrying out a gas attack in Syria&#39;s Afrin region.

&quot;These are baseless accusations. Turkey never used chemical weapons. We take utmost care of civilians in Operation Olive Branch,&quot; the source said.

Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria&#39;s Afrin region on Friday.

The source also described the accusations of wounding six civilians through a suspected gas attack as &quot;black propaganda&quot;.

Turkey launched an air and ground offensive last month on the Afrin region, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war, to target Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.&nbsp;

Birusk Hasaka, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin, told Reuters that Turkish bombardment hit a village in the northwest of the region, near the Turkish border. He said it caused six people to suffer breathing problems and other symptoms indicative of a gas attack.&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that Turkish forces and their Syrian insurgent allies hit the village on Friday with shells. The Britain-based war monitoring group said medical sources in Afrin reported that six people in the attack suffered breathing difficulties and dilated pupils, indicating a suspected gas attack.

Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a doctor in an Afrin hospital, said Turkish shelling of the village caused choking in six people.

On February 6, the United Nations called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria.

Since the onset of the conflict in 2011, the YPG and its allies have set up three autonomous cantons in the north, including Afrin. Their sphere of influence expanded as they seized territory from Islamic State with US&nbsp;help, though Washington opposes their autonomy plans as does the Syrian government.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;support for Kurdish-led forces in Syria has infuriated Ankara, which views them as a security threat along its frontier. Turkey sees the YPG as terrorists and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a three-decade insurgency on Turkish soil.

Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria's Afrin region on Friday

Turkey never used chemical weapons in its operations in Syria, and takes the utmost care of civilians, a Turkish diplomatic source said, after Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group accused it of carrying out a gas attack in Syria's Afrin region. "These are baseless accusations. Turkey never used chemical weapons. We take utmost care of civilians in Operation Olive Branch," the source said. Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria's Afrin region on Friday. The source also described the accusations of wounding six civilians through a suspected gas attack as "black propaganda". Turkey launched an air and ground offensive last month on the Afrin region, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war, to target Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Birusk Hasaka, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin, told Reuters that Turkish bombardment hit a village in the northwest of the region, near the Turkish border. He said it caused six people to suffer breathing problems and other symptoms indicative of a gas attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that Turkish forces and their Syrian insurgent allies hit the village on Friday with shells. The Britain-based war monitoring group said medical sources in Afrin reported that six people in the attack suffered breathing difficulties and dilated pupils, indicating a suspected gas attack. Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a doctor in an Afrin hospital, said Turkish shelling of the village caused choking in six people. On February 6, the United Nations called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria. Since the onset of the conflict in 2011, the YPG and its allies have set up three autonomous cantons in the north, including Afrin. Their sphere of influence expanded as they seized territory from Islamic State with US help, though Washington opposes their autonomy plans as does the Syrian government. US support for Kurdish-led forces in Syria has infuriated Ankara, which views them as a security threat along its frontier. Turkey sees the YPG as terrorists and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a three-decade insurgency on Turkish soil.

Turkey denies use of chemicals in Syria's Afrin, says accusations baseless

Mohammed Kuraji returned to Syria&#39;s Raqa to prepare a homecoming but ended up organising a funeral. Stepping into his home, an unexploded mine detonated and killed his elderly father.

&quot;It was terrifying. The blast was so strong that I couldn&#39;t hear,&quot; said the 26-year-old, who was also wounded in the incident two months ago.

The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city.

Residents are desperate to return home, but they are being maimed and killed by unexploded -- and sometimes insidiously hidden -- ordnance.

Under piles of rubble, behind old refrigerator doors, in blown-out buildings, IS has sown death everywhere.

The explosives in Kuraji&#39;s home were triggered when his father leaned down to pick up a copy of the Koran.

&quot;I was thrown back into the neighbour&#39;s house and a wall collapsed onto my father,&quot; said Kuraji, who has two young children.

He said from under a mountain of blankets, pulling back the covers to reveal his legs, set in place by splints and screws in his shins.

Minehunting 

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces ousted IS from Raqa in October, then handed the city over to the Raqa Civil Council.

But Raqa natives are complaining that demining firms hired by the RCC are taking too long, and have taken matters into their own hands.

Young men are charging up to $100 to search and clear homes of mines -- a small fortune for war-weary Syrians.

&quot;It&#39;s becoming a lucrative business. The officials are ignoring it, and we don&#39;t have the means,&quot; said resident Hamed Saleh, 28.

A large part of his home in Raqa is inaccessible because of mines.

&quot;At any moment, even if a cat is just passing by, a bomb could go off. It&#39;s terrifying,&quot; said Saleh.

According to Human Rights Watch, local officials were receiving about 10 requests for house inspections for a single neighbourhood, every day.

But they were only able to clear about 10 cases per week across the entire city, the New York-based rights group said this week.

It documented at least 491 people, including 157 children, wounded in mine blasts, many of whom died.

Goh Mayama of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said his clinic receives an average of six mine blast casualties a day on average in Raqa, about a quarter of whom die.

&nbsp;&#39;A view to kill&#39;&nbsp;

Demining operations in Raqa have been supported by the US-led coalition that backed the SDF&#39;s drive against IS.

In December, the SDF said it had demined half the city.

&quot;The hospitals, public institutions, schools, power stations, and bakeries are all demined,&quot; said SDF official Lokman Khalil.

&quot;Raqa&#39;s a big city. There&#39;s a huge number of mines and it&#39;ll take time,&quot; he said.

He said the SDF had tried to keep civilians away, but Raqa natives eager to leave displacement camps and come home had ramped up the pressure.

Now, the city&#39;s main streets have been cleared for traffic, though mounds of debris still line the sidewalks.

Outside one damaged building, a group of children in oversized sweaters rummages through a pile of twisted metal and corrugated iron.

Men with picks and shovels poke through the ruins, emerging occasionally with an unexploded mine.

&quot;We&#39;re paying people out of our own pockets to clear our streets and houses,&quot; said Abu Mohammed, a resident in his forties.

The four-storey apartment building he owns has been completely destroyed, but he cannot begin rebuilding because of mines inside.

&quot;I have three kids. I keep them locked at home so that mines don&#39;t go off as they walk in the streets,&quot; he said.

According to the United Nations, some 60,000 people have returned to Raqa despite warnings of the danger.

&quot;The number of unexploded ordnance in Raqa is something that we have never seen before. It&#39;s extreme,&quot; said Panos Moumtzis, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria.

Between 50 and 70 people were being wounded or killed every week because of mines in the city.

&quot;Just to give you a point of comparison, it&#39;s the number that takes place in Afghanistan in a year,&quot; Moumtzis said.

&quot;It&#39;s planted with a view to kill.&quot;

&nbsp;

The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city.

Mohammed Kuraji returned to Syria's Raqa to prepare a homecoming but ended up organising a funeral. Stepping into his home, an unexploded mine detonated and killed his elderly father. "It was terrifying. The blast was so strong that I couldn't hear," said the 26-year-old, who was also wounded in the incident two months ago. The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city. Residents are desperate to return home, but they are being maimed and killed by unexploded -- and sometimes insidiously hidden -- ordnance. Under piles of rubble, behind old refrigerator doors, in blown-out buildings, IS has sown death everywhere. The explosives in Kuraji's home were triggered when his father leaned down to pick up a copy of the Koran. "I was thrown back into the neighbour's house and a wall collapsed onto my father," said Kuraji, who has two young children. He said from under a mountain of blankets, pulling back the covers to reveal his legs, set in place by splints and screws in his shins. Minehunting The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces ousted IS from Raqa in October, then handed the city over to the Raqa Civil Council. But Raqa natives are complaining that demining firms hired by the RCC are taking too long, and have taken matters into their own hands. Young men are charging up to $100 to search and clear homes of mines -- a small fortune for war-weary Syrians. "It's becoming a lucrative business. The officials are ignoring it, and we don't have the means," said resident Hamed Saleh, 28. A large part of his home in Raqa is inaccessible because of mines. "At any moment, even if a cat is just passing by, a bomb could go off. It's terrifying," said Saleh. According to Human Rights Watch, local officials were receiving about 10 requests for house inspections for a single neighbourhood, every day. But they were only able to clear about 10 cases per week across the entire city, the New York-based rights group said this week. It documented at least 491 people, including 157 children, wounded in mine blasts, many of whom died. Goh Mayama of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said his clinic receives an average of six mine blast casualties a day on average in Raqa, about a quarter of whom die. 'A view to kill' Demining operations in Raqa have been supported by the US-led coalition that backed the SDF's drive against IS. In December, the SDF said it had demined half the city. "The hospitals, public institutions, schools, power stations, and bakeries are all demined," said SDF official Lokman Khalil. "Raqa's a big city. There's a huge number of mines and it'll take time," he said. He said the SDF had tried to keep civilians away, but Raqa natives eager to leave displacement camps and come home had ramped up the pressure. Now, the city's main streets have been cleared for traffic, though mounds of debris still line the sidewalks. Outside one damaged building, a group of children in oversized sweaters rummages through a pile of twisted metal and corrugated iron. Men with picks and shovels poke through the ruins, emerging occasionally with an unexploded mine. "We're paying people out of our own pockets to clear our streets and houses," said Abu Mohammed, a resident in his forties. The four-storey apartment building he owns has been completely destroyed, but he cannot begin rebuilding because of mines inside. "I have three kids. I keep them locked at home so that mines don't go off as they walk in the streets," he said. According to the United Nations, some 60,000 people have returned to Raqa despite warnings of the danger. "The number of unexploded ordnance in Raqa is something that we have never seen before. It's extreme," said Panos Moumtzis, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria. Between 50 and 70 people were being wounded or killed every week because of mines in the city. "Just to give you a point of comparison, it's the number that takes place in Afghanistan in a year," Moumtzis said. "It's planted with a view to kill."

Desperate to come home, Syrians brave IS mines in Raqa

&nbsp;Russia, the Syrian regime&#39;s main backer, plans to help Damascus relaunch its energy industry which has been devastated by years of conflict, Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said.

&quot;We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity, but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits,&quot; Kovak was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies yesterday.

He did not name any Russian companies that may be involved.

As the main international backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, Russia has committed itself to aiding in the country&#39;s reconstruction.

Last week an agreement was signed on the &quot;rehabilitation, modernisation and construction of new energy facilities in Syria&quot; Russia&#39;s energy ministry said on its website.

&quot;We attach great importance to restoring the Syrian economy, especially the oil and gas sectors which will certainly contribute to the normalisation of the economic and social situation in the country,&quot; said Novak.

In December a Russian business and political delegation visited Damascus to discuss investment and reconstruction with Assad, including oil and gas projects but also electricity, phosphates, transport and trade.

&quot;Syria is a land of unlimited riches,&quot; Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who led the delegation, said at the time.

&quot;Russian companies have the moral right to develop large-scale economic projects here,&quot; Rogozin said then.

Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 in support of Assad.

In December last year, President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial retreat of Russian troops from Syria.

'We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits,' Alexander Novak

Russia, the Syrian regime's main backer, plans to help Damascus relaunch its energy industry which has been devastated by years of conflict, Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said. "We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity, but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits," Kovak was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies yesterday. He did not name any Russian companies that may be involved. As the main international backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Russia has committed itself to aiding in the country's reconstruction. Last week an agreement was signed on the "rehabilitation, modernisation and construction of new energy facilities in Syria" Russia's energy ministry said on its website. "We attach great importance to restoring the Syrian economy, especially the oil and gas sectors which will certainly contribute to the normalisation of the economic and social situation in the country," said Novak. In December a Russian business and political delegation visited Damascus to discuss investment and reconstruction with Assad, including oil and gas projects but also electricity, phosphates, transport and trade. "Syria is a land of unlimited riches," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who led the delegation, said at the time. "Russian companies have the moral right to develop large-scale economic projects here," Rogozin said then. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 in support of Assad. In December last year, President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial retreat of Russian troops from Syria.

Russia wants to help Syria relaunch oil production

The current situation in Syria seems to have gotten worse since the United Nations decided to conduct a month-long humanitarian ceasefire.&nbsp;

The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus.

The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Ali al-Za&#39;tari said on Monday that Syria has witnessed &quot;some of the worst fighting of the entire conflict&quot; since the decision.

There are reports of &quot;hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, massive displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities,&quot; Za&#39;tari said in an emailed statement.&nbsp;

Syria&rsquo;s President Bashar al-Assad is, with the support of Iranian-backed militias and the Russian air force, pursuing military offensives against insurgents in his opponents&rsquo; last major strongholds in the west of the country.

Separately, UN war crimes experts said they were investigating several reports of bombs allegedly containing chlorine gas being used against civilians in the rebel-held towns of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib and Douma in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday&rsquo;s bombardment of Eastern Ghouta had killed 63 people. A local official, Khalil Aybour, put the toll at 53.

On Monday, air strikes killed 30 people in Eastern Ghouta, the Observatory said.

Insurgent shelling of government-held Damascus killed three people, the Observatory, and Syrian state media reported.

Air strikes also killed at least six people in rebel-held Idlib including five in Tarmala village, the Observatory said.

UN officials in Syria called for fighting to stop to enable aid deliveries and the evacuation of sick and wounded, listing seven areas of concern including northern Syria&rsquo;s Kurdish-led Afrin region, being targeted by a Turkish offensive.

&nbsp;

(With input from Reuters)&nbsp;

The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus

The current situation in Syria seems to have gotten worse since the United Nations decided to conduct a month-long humanitarian ceasefire. The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus. The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Ali al-Za'tari said on Monday that Syria has witnessed "some of the worst fighting of the entire conflict" since the decision. There are reports of "hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, massive displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities," Za'tari said in an emailed statement. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is, with the support of Iranian-backed militias and the Russian air force, pursuing military offensives against insurgents in his opponents’ last major strongholds in the west of the country. Separately, UN war crimes experts said they were investigating several reports of bombs allegedly containing chlorine gas being used against civilians in the rebel-held towns of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib and Douma in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday’s bombardment of Eastern Ghouta had killed 63 people. A local official, Khalil Aybour, put the toll at 53. On Monday, air strikes killed 30 people in Eastern Ghouta, the Observatory said. Insurgent shelling of government-held Damascus killed three people, the Observatory, and Syrian state media reported. Air strikes also killed at least six people in rebel-held Idlib including five in Tarmala village, the Observatory said. UN officials in Syria called for fighting to stop to enable aid deliveries and the evacuation of sick and wounded, listing seven areas of concern including northern Syria’s Kurdish-led Afrin region, being targeted by a Turkish offensive. (With input from Reuters)

Situation in Syria worse since call for ceasefire: UN

Russia rejected Tuesday fresh US accusations that it bears responsibility for recent chemical attacks by the Syrian government, calling instead for a new &quot;truly impartial&quot; international investigation.

During a last-minute United Nations Security Council meeting he called, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia lashed out at American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for having &quot;hastily accused the Syrian -- as they call it -- &#39;regime&#39;&quot; of the reported attack in Eastern Ghouta that left its victims struggling to breathe.

&quot;Now they are trying to drag Russia into this as well,&quot; Nebenzia added.

His comments came as diplomats from 29 countries met in Paris to push for sanctions and criminal charges against the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria.

Russia and China have blocked Western-backed efforts at the UN to impose sanctions on Damascus over their use.

&quot;Does it not seem strange to anybody that this episode, which has yet to be confirmed, somehow coincided with the meeting in Paris and the forthcoming conference in Sochi? This is a strange coincidence,&quot; Nebenzia added.

During the Security Council meeting, Nebenzia called again for establishing a &quot;new international investigative body which, on the basis of irrefutable information, would be able to establish evidence to identify perpetrators in the use of chemical weapons.&quot;

His plan would replace a chemical weapons panel known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, whose mandate could not be renewed due to Russian vetoes.

Moscow is also circulating a draft resolution that would establish the new investigative body that would be &quot;truly impartial, independent, professional and credible.&quot; Russia has repeatedly contested the JIM&#39;s legitimacy.

US envoy Nikki Haley quickly indicated the Russian proposal had no chance of being adopted. The United States also holds veto power at the Security Council.

&quot;We&#39;re not going to accept any Russian proposal that undermines our ability to get to the truth or that politicizes what must be an independent and impartial investigation,&quot; she said.

&quot;If they want to work in good faith toward that goal, we are ready to re-establish the JIM, with its original independent and impartial mandate, right now. But anything less is unacceptable.&quot;

She argued that Moscow had supported the JIM as long as its investigators pointed the finger at the so-called Islamic State group, but challenged their conclusions when they blamed the Syrian regime.

&quot;That is not how independent investigations work. You don&#39;t get to question the findings when they don&rsquo;t go your way,&quot; Haley said.

Damascus has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for an April 2017 sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

There have been at least 130 separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2012, according to French estimates, with the Islamic State group also accused of using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq.

A new round of peace talks is due to take place in Vienna on Thursday and Friday, while Moscow has organized negotiations in the Russian city of Sochi next week aimed at ending Syria&#39;s civil war.

Russia has called for for a new 'truly impartial' international investigation

Russia rejected Tuesday fresh US accusations that it bears responsibility for recent chemical attacks by the Syrian government, calling instead for a new "truly impartial" international investigation. During a last-minute United Nations Security Council meeting he called, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia lashed out at American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for having "hastily accused the Syrian -- as they call it -- 'regime'" of the reported attack in Eastern Ghouta that left its victims struggling to breathe. "Now they are trying to drag Russia into this as well," Nebenzia added. His comments came as diplomats from 29 countries met in Paris to push for sanctions and criminal charges against the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria. Russia and China have blocked Western-backed efforts at the UN to impose sanctions on Damascus over their use. "Does it not seem strange to anybody that this episode, which has yet to be confirmed, somehow coincided with the meeting in Paris and the forthcoming conference in Sochi? This is a strange coincidence," Nebenzia added. During the Security Council meeting, Nebenzia called again for establishing a "new international investigative body which, on the basis of irrefutable information, would be able to establish evidence to identify perpetrators in the use of chemical weapons." His plan would replace a chemical weapons panel known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, whose mandate could not be renewed due to Russian vetoes. Moscow is also circulating a draft resolution that would establish the new investigative body that would be "truly impartial, independent, professional and credible." Russia has repeatedly contested the JIM's legitimacy. US envoy Nikki Haley quickly indicated the Russian proposal had no chance of being adopted. The United States also holds veto power at the Security Council. "We're not going to accept any Russian proposal that undermines our ability to get to the truth or that politicizes what must be an independent and impartial investigation," she said. "If they want to work in good faith toward that goal, we are ready to re-establish the JIM, with its original independent and impartial mandate, right now. But anything less is unacceptable." She argued that Moscow had supported the JIM as long as its investigators pointed the finger at the so-called Islamic State group, but challenged their conclusions when they blamed the Syrian regime. "That is not how independent investigations work. You don't get to question the findings when they don’t go your way," Haley said. Damascus has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for an April 2017 sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead. There have been at least 130 separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2012, according to French estimates, with the Islamic State group also accused of using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq. A new round of peace talks is due to take place in Vienna on Thursday and Friday, while Moscow has organized negotiations in the Russian city of Sochi next week aimed at ending Syria's civil war.

Russia says it's not behind Syria chemical attacks

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/73-of-wealth-in-india-rests-with-richest-1-oxfam-report-30281">Richest 1% own 73% of India&#39;s wealth: Report</a>

According to an international study published by the Oxfam group, close to 73% of India&#39;s wealth was cornered by India&#39;s richest 1%.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cji-led-bench-of-supreme-court-to-hear-justice-loya-death-case-today-30275">CJI-led bench of Supreme Court to hear Justice Loya death case today</a>

The Supreme Court will today hear pleas filed by three petitioners seeking probe by a Special Investigation Tribunal (SIT) into the alleged mysterious death of CBI judge Justice BH Loya in 2014.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-leave-for-davos-today-for-world-economic-forum-30284">PM Modi to leave for Davos today for World Economic Forum</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today leave for Davos, Switzerland for the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-troops-tanks-enter-syria-to-fight-kurdish-militia-30274">Turkish troops, tanks enter Syria to fight Kurdish militia</a>

Turkish troops and tanks entered Syria on Sunday to push an offensive against Kurdish militia as rockets hit border towns in apparent retaliation and the United States urged Ankara to show restraint.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-postpones-vote-on-ending-shutdown-to-noon-monday-30288">US Senate postpones vote on ending shutdown to noon Monday</a>

The US Senate adjourned late Sunday without reaching a deal on re-opening government, as the Republican leadership postponed a vote on ending the shutdown until noon on Monday.

Richest 1% own 73% of India's wealth: Report According to an international study published by the Oxfam group, close to 73% of India's wealth was cornered by India's richest 1%. CJI-led bench of Supreme Court to hear Justice Loya death case today The Supreme Court will today hear pleas filed by three petitioners seeking probe by a Special Investigation Tribunal (SIT) into the alleged mysterious death of CBI judge Justice BH Loya in 2014. PM Modi to leave for Davos today for World Economic Forum Prime Minister Narendra Modi today leave for Davos, Switzerland for the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Turkish troops, tanks enter Syria to fight Kurdish militia Turkish troops and tanks entered Syria on Sunday to push an offensive against Kurdish militia as rockets hit border towns in apparent retaliation and the United States urged Ankara to show restraint. US Senate postpones vote on ending shutdown to noon Monday The US Senate adjourned late Sunday without reaching a deal on re-opening government, as the Republican leadership postponed a vote on ending the shutdown until noon on Monday.

WION Morning News Brief, January 22, 2018

Syria&#39;s High Negotiations Committee has decided to boycott the Russia-backed conference in Sochi.&nbsp;

The announcement was made public in a tweet.

The Syrian opposition accused Russia of undermining UN-led talks.

The peace conference will take place next week and is expected to see close to 1,600 Syrian representatives in attendance.&nbsp;

Russia has been in the process of steering a separate negotiating track in Astana, and now in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Russia backs Syrian President Bashar Assad&#39;s forces.&nbsp;

The boycott comes in the wake of escalating violence in northern Syria marred by Turkish attacks on the Kurdish-held enclave.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Syrian opposition accused Russia of undermining UN-led talks

Syria's High Negotiations Committee has decided to boycott the Russia-backed conference in Sochi. The announcement was made public in a tweet. The Syrian opposition accused Russia of undermining UN-led talks. The peace conference will take place next week and is expected to see close to 1,600 Syrian representatives in attendance. Russia has been in the process of steering a separate negotiating track in Astana, and now in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Russia backs Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces. The boycott comes in the wake of escalating violence in northern Syria marred by Turkish attacks on the Kurdish-held enclave. (With inputs from PTI)

Syria opposition group says it will boycott Sochi conference

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