The United Nations has voiced concern over Gulf nations &#39;unacceptable attack on the right to freedom of expression and opinion&#39; by demanding Qatar to shut down Al Jazeera network, as well as other affiliated media outlets.

A spokesperson for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, told a press briefing here on Friday, &quot;The High Commissioner is extremely concerned by the demand that Qatar close down the Al Jazeera network, as well as other affiliated media outlets.&quot;

&quot;Whether or not you watch it, like it, or agree with its editorial standpoints, Al Jazeera&#39;s Arabic and English channels are legitimate and have many millions of viewers. The demand that they are summarily closed down is, in our view, an unacceptable attack on the right to freedom of expression and opinion,&quot; added Colville.

The spokesperson said that if states have an issue with items broadcast on other countries&#39; television channels, they are at liberty to publicly debate and dispute them but to insist that such channels be shut down is extraordinary, unprecedented and clearly unreasonable.

Last week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt handed down a list of 13 demands to Qatar and gave it 10 days to meet the requirements in order to lift the blockade that the Gulf nations have imposed on the country.

The list included Doha to close Al Jazeera, scale back cooperation with Iran, remove Turkish troops from Qatar, end contact with groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and submit to monthly external compliance checks.

He said that High Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein, therefore, urges all five States to take measures to solve this dispute in a calm, reasonable and lawful manners and to ensure that any actions they take do not impact on the human rights of their own and other countries&#39; citizens and residents.&nbsp;

UN spokesperson Rupert Colville said that if states have an issue with items broadcast on other countries' television channels, they are at liberty to publicly debate and dispute them but to insist that such channels be shut down is extraordinary, unprecedented and clearly unreasonable

The United Nations has voiced concern over Gulf nations 'unacceptable attack on the right to freedom of expression and opinion' by demanding Qatar to shut down Al Jazeera network, as well as other affiliated media outlets. A spokesperson for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, told a press briefing here on Friday, "The High Commissioner is extremely concerned by the demand that Qatar close down the Al Jazeera network, as well as other affiliated media outlets." "Whether or not you watch it, like it, or agree with its editorial standpoints, Al Jazeera's Arabic and English channels are legitimate and have many millions of viewers. The demand that they are summarily closed down is, in our view, an unacceptable attack on the right to freedom of expression and opinion," added Colville. The spokesperson said that if states have an issue with items broadcast on other countries' television channels, they are at liberty to publicly debate and dispute them but to insist that such channels be shut down is extraordinary, unprecedented and clearly unreasonable. Last week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt handed down a list of 13 demands to Qatar and gave it 10 days to meet the requirements in order to lift the blockade that the Gulf nations have imposed on the country. The list included Doha to close Al Jazeera, scale back cooperation with Iran, remove Turkish troops from Qatar, end contact with groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and submit to monthly external compliance checks. He said that High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, therefore, urges all five States to take measures to solve this dispute in a calm, reasonable and lawful manners and to ensure that any actions they take do not impact on the human rights of their own and other countries' citizens and residents.

'Attack on freedom of expression': UN slams Gulf's demand to shut Al Jazeera

The Syrian army said it would suspend combat operations in the southern city of Deraa for 48 hours from Saturday, as mediators announced two separate attempts to convene new peace talks next month.

The Syrian army general command said a ceasefire at noon (0900 GMT) on Saturday was being implemented to support &quot;reconciliation efforts&quot;, according to a statement carried by state news agency SANA.

The announcement came on the same day as the United Nations said it wanted to start a fresh round of peace talks between Syrian factions on July 10 in Geneva, and Moscow said it hoped to hold talks in Kazakhstan&#39;s capital Astana on July 4-5.

Since a resumption of peace negotiations last year, there have been multiple rounds brokered by the United Nations in Geneva between representatives of Syrian rebels and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, resulting in scant progress.

Another track of talks brokered by Russia - a key Assad ally - has also been happening in Astana, Kazakhstan, since January.

In an emailed statement the office of United Nations special mediator for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he wished to convene a seventh round of Geneva talks in July and further rounds in August and September.

The United States welcomed the ceasefire announcement and called on the Syrian government to live up to its ceasefire commitments.

&quot;We will judge this initiative by the results not the words,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. She urged the Syrian opposition groups to halt attacks to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

In more than six years the Syrian conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes.

In May, Iran, Russia and Turkey brokered a deal in Astana to create four de-escalation zones in Syria.

Violence levels have been vastly reduced in those proposed de-escalation areas, but fighting has continued in major frontline areas, including in Deraa city.

The Syrian army and Iran-backed militia forces have stepped up attacks against a rebel-held part of Deraa city in recent weeks, in a possible prelude to a large-scale campaign to gain full control.

De Mistura said this week a new round of talks would depend on the progress made in setting up the de-escalation zones.

A war monitor said the level of violence in Deraa had fallen seven hours after Saturday&#39;s ceasefire was due to take effect, but it and rebels said there was some bombardment for the first couple of hours.

A rebel commander in Deraa told Reuters hostilities had not stopped three hours after the ceasefire was due to begin.

&quot;We have not heard of any such talk and the regime is still attacking us with the same intensity,&quot; the commander said at 3:30 p.m. (1230 GMT).

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said there was a &quot;cautious calm&quot; by 7 p.m.

&quot;There are breaches and we are distrustful of the regime&#39;s intentions in abiding by the ceasefire,&quot; Major Issam al Rayes, spokesman for the Southern Front grouping of the Free Syrian Army rebels, told Reuters.

&quot;The regime&#39;s forces have stopped their military operations after big losses in equipment and men since the start of their campaign over a month ago ... after the failure of repeated attempts to advance,&quot; he said.

The United States and Russia have been holding talks on creating a separate &quot;de-escalation zone&quot; in southwestern Syria that would include Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian army general command said a ceasefire at noon (0900 GMT) on Saturday was being implemented to support 'reconciliation efforts'

The Syrian army said it would suspend combat operations in the southern city of Deraa for 48 hours from Saturday, as mediators announced two separate attempts to convene new peace talks next month. The Syrian army general command said a ceasefire at noon (0900 GMT) on Saturday was being implemented to support "reconciliation efforts", according to a statement carried by state news agency SANA. The announcement came on the same day as the United Nations said it wanted to start a fresh round of peace talks between Syrian factions on July 10 in Geneva, and Moscow said it hoped to hold talks in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on July 4-5. Since a resumption of peace negotiations last year, there have been multiple rounds brokered by the United Nations in Geneva between representatives of Syrian rebels and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, resulting in scant progress. Another track of talks brokered by Russia - a key Assad ally - has also been happening in Astana, Kazakhstan, since January. In an emailed statement the office of United Nations special mediator for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he wished to convene a seventh round of Geneva talks in July and further rounds in August and September. The United States welcomed the ceasefire announcement and called on the Syrian government to live up to its ceasefire commitments. "We will judge this initiative by the results not the words," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. She urged the Syrian opposition groups to halt attacks to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need. In more than six years the Syrian conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes. In May, Iran, Russia and Turkey brokered a deal in Astana to create four de-escalation zones in Syria. Violence levels have been vastly reduced in those proposed de-escalation areas, but fighting has continued in major frontline areas, including in Deraa city. The Syrian army and Iran-backed militia forces have stepped up attacks against a rebel-held part of Deraa city in recent weeks, in a possible prelude to a large-scale campaign to gain full control. De Mistura said this week a new round of talks would depend on the progress made in setting up the de-escalation zones. A war monitor said the level of violence in Deraa had fallen seven hours after Saturday's ceasefire was due to take effect, but it and rebels said there was some bombardment for the first couple of hours. A rebel commander in Deraa told Reuters hostilities had not stopped three hours after the ceasefire was due to begin. "We have not heard of any such talk and the regime is still attacking us with the same intensity," the commander said at 3:30 p.m. (1230 GMT). The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said there was a "cautious calm" by 7 p.m. "There are breaches and we are distrustful of the regime's intentions in abiding by the ceasefire," Major Issam al Rayes, spokesman for the Southern Front grouping of the Free Syrian Army rebels, told Reuters. "The regime's forces have stopped their military operations after big losses in equipment and men since the start of their campaign over a month ago ... after the failure of repeated attempts to advance," he said. The United States and Russia have been holding talks on creating a separate "de-escalation zone" in southwestern Syria that would include Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Syrian army declares city ceasefire as Russia, UN plan July peace talks

A bombing claimed by Islamist insurgents killed five civilians and injured six more in the Somali capital on Wednesday, a spokesman for the city&#39;s mayor said, underscoring the militants&#39; ability to carry out attacks despite territorial losses.

Bombings are a near-daily occurrence in Mogadishu. Most are claimed by the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government and drive out the African Union peacekeeping force that supports it.

&quot;We have confirmed that five civilians, including a mother and her son, have died,&quot; said Abdifatah Omar Halane, spokesman for the Mogadishu mayor.

A Reuters reporter at the scene saw burnt bodies and a wrecked car near a damaged police checkpoint.

A spokesman for al Shabaab&#39;s military operations said one of the group&#39;s fighters was killed in the incident.

&quot;One mujahid (fighter) was martyred after he targeted security officials with his car bomb,&quot; said the spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab.

Since withdrawing from Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia&#39;s cities and towns. But it still retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and centre.

Also on Wednesday, eight Kenyan security officers were killed on the Kenyan side of the Somali border in two separate roadside bombings. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Adding to the violence, a small jihadist group in the north of Somalia has split from the main insurgency and declared allegiance to Islamic State. That group claimed responsibility for a bombing in the northern city of Bosasso that killed five people on Tuesday.

Somalia has been mired in civil war since 1991. It is also suffering from a regional drought that threatens to tip its population of 12 million into famine.

(Reuters)

Bombings are a near-daily occurrence in Mogadishu, where al Shabaab fights to overthrow the weak UN-backed government

A bombing claimed by Islamist insurgents killed five civilians and injured six more in the Somali capital on Wednesday, a spokesman for the city's mayor said, underscoring the militants' ability to carry out attacks despite territorial losses. Bombings are a near-daily occurrence in Mogadishu. Most are claimed by the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government and drive out the African Union peacekeeping force that supports it. "We have confirmed that five civilians, including a mother and her son, have died," said Abdifatah Omar Halane, spokesman for the Mogadishu mayor. A Reuters reporter at the scene saw burnt bodies and a wrecked car near a damaged police checkpoint. A spokesman for al Shabaab's military operations said one of the group's fighters was killed in the incident. "One mujahid (fighter) was martyred after he targeted security officials with his car bomb," said the spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab. Since withdrawing from Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns. But it still retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and centre. Also on Wednesday, eight Kenyan security officers were killed on the Kenyan side of the Somali border in two separate roadside bombings. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for both attacks. Adding to the violence, a small jihadist group in the north of Somalia has split from the main insurgency and declared allegiance to Islamic State. That group claimed responsibility for a bombing in the northern city of Bosasso that killed five people on Tuesday. Somalia has been mired in civil war since 1991. It is also suffering from a regional drought that threatens to tip its population of 12 million into famine. (Reuters)

Al Shabaab bombing in Somali capital kills five, injures six

A group of Colombian FARC rebels on Friday became the first to formally complete a disarmament process under a peace accord to end a half-century conflict, United Nations monitors said.

&quot;A first group of 12 members of the FARC received today from the UN mission a certificate of completion of individual disarmament, which allows them to formally begin their reintegration into civilian life,&quot; the UN said in a statement.

&quot;With this event, a continuous process begins to certify the FARC members who are making the transition to civilian life after laying down their arms.&quot;

The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year&#39;s accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict.

Under the accord, all the FARC&#39;s weapons are supposed to be taken away by the United Nations by the end of this month to be destroyed.

The arms were all supposed to have been handed over by May 1, but the UN said there were delays because some FARC members were late arriving at the agreed demobilization zones.

The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country&#39;s biggest rebel group, reached a deal after four years of negotiations.

Voters rejected the deal by a narrow margin in a referendum last October.

Colombia&#39;s President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leaders drafted a new version of the accord and the government pushed it through congress despite ongoing resistance from critics.

Critics said the deal was too lenient on FARC members since it offered some of them reduced penalties for crimes committed during the conflict.

Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts despite the referendum setback.

Under the deal Herminsul Arellan Barajas, one of the men convicted for a FARC bombing that killed 36 people in Bogota in 2003, was released from jail on parole on Friday, a source in the penitentiary service told AFP.

The government in February opened negotiations with the last active rebel force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), in the hope of sealing a &quot;complete peace.&quot;

The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 when the FARC and ELN took up arms for rural land rights.

It drew in various rebel and paramilitary forces and drug gangs as well as state forces.

The conflict has left at least 260,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the authorities.

(AFP)

The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year's accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict

A group of Colombian FARC rebels on Friday became the first to formally complete a disarmament process under a peace accord to end a half-century conflict, United Nations monitors said. "A first group of 12 members of the FARC received today from the UN mission a certificate of completion of individual disarmament, which allows them to formally begin their reintegration into civilian life," the UN said in a statement. "With this event, a continuous process begins to certify the FARC members who are making the transition to civilian life after laying down their arms." The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year's accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict. Under the accord, all the FARC's weapons are supposed to be taken away by the United Nations by the end of this month to be destroyed. The arms were all supposed to have been handed over by May 1, but the UN said there were delays because some FARC members were late arriving at the agreed demobilization zones. The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's biggest rebel group, reached a deal after four years of negotiations. Voters rejected the deal by a narrow margin in a referendum last October. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leaders drafted a new version of the accord and the government pushed it through congress despite ongoing resistance from critics. Critics said the deal was too lenient on FARC members since it offered some of them reduced penalties for crimes committed during the conflict. Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts despite the referendum setback. Under the deal Herminsul Arellan Barajas, one of the men convicted for a FARC bombing that killed 36 people in Bogota in 2003, was released from jail on parole on Friday, a source in the penitentiary service told AFP. The government in February opened negotiations with the last active rebel force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), in the hope of sealing a "complete peace." The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 when the FARC and ELN took up arms for rural land rights. It drew in various rebel and paramilitary forces and drug gangs as well as state forces. The conflict has left at least 260,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the authorities. (AFP)

First Colombia FARC rebels complete disarmament: UN

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking exclusively to WION correspondent Ramesh Ramachandran appealed to all countries involved in fighting&nbsp;IS, including Russia and UN &nbsp;to come together to eliminate the terrorist organisation from the region.

&quot;In order to destroy a terrorist organisation, you cannot use another terrorist organisation as an instrument,&quot; the president said.&nbsp;

The president blamed the Assad regime&nbsp;in Syria for waging &quot;state terrorism&quot;, comparing it obliquely to IS, the president said, &quot;Let&#39;s plan an administration for Syria which is going to be determined by the people, so long as we get rid of Assad - the murderous Assad.&quot;

The president clearly declared at present Fateh was a bigger threat to Turkey than IS since it was&nbsp;&quot;infiltrating into the institutions of Turkey&quot;. He said PKK was also another big threat&nbsp;which is also present in the northern part of Syria. However, the president was quick to add that &quot;the coalition forces are not fighting the IS with the same commitment as Turkey&quot;.

Erdogan who has been the president of Turkey since 2014, tactfully defended his country&#39;s relations with Russia balancing it with&nbsp;NATO countries.

&quot;Russia is our neighbour, we have very significant trade volume with that country, we have a similar relationship with NATO with all member states under one roof,&quot; he said.

&quot;One cannot be favoured at the cost of another,&quot; the president felt.

(WION)

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wion-exclusive-india-pak-should-keep-open-channel-for-dialogue-to-solve-the-kashmir-issue-says-president-erdoan-15061">Also Read:&nbsp;WION EXCLUSIVE: India, Pak should keep open channel for dialogue to solve the Kashmir issue, says President Erdogan </a>

&nbsp;

Catch&nbsp;the complete interview&nbsp;with&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s President&nbsp;Reccep Tayyip&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;on WION Live TV at 9 pm (IST) Saturday and repeat telecast at 8 pm (IST) Sunday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said both Russia and NATO are important for Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking exclusively to WION correspondent Ramesh Ramachandran appealed to all countries involved in fighting IS, including Russia and UN to come together to eliminate the terrorist organisation from the region. "In order to destroy a terrorist organisation, you cannot use another terrorist organisation as an instrument," the president said. The president blamed the Assad regime in Syria for waging "state terrorism", comparing it obliquely to IS, the president said, "Let's plan an administration for Syria which is going to be determined by the people, so long as we get rid of Assad - the murderous Assad." The president clearly declared at present Fateh was a bigger threat to Turkey than IS since it was "infiltrating into the institutions of Turkey". He said PKK was also another big threat which is also present in the northern part of Syria. However, the president was quick to add that "the coalition forces are not fighting the IS with the same commitment as Turkey". Erdogan who has been the president of Turkey since 2014, tactfully defended his country's relations with Russia balancing it with NATO countries. "Russia is our neighbour, we have very significant trade volume with that country, we have a similar relationship with NATO with all member states under one roof," he said. "One cannot be favoured at the cost of another," the president felt. (WION) Also Read: WION EXCLUSIVE: India, Pak should keep open channel for dialogue to solve the Kashmir issue, says President Erdogan Catch the complete interview with Turkey's President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan on WION Live TV at 9 pm (IST) Saturday and repeat telecast at 8 pm (IST) Sunday.

WION EXCLUSIVE: All countries, Russia and UN should fight IS: President Erdogan

A proposed United Nations resolution on a chemical weapons attack in Syria is &quot;unacceptable&quot; for Moscow and based on &quot;fake information&quot;, Russia&#39;s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

&quot;Unfortunately, based on totally fake information, the United States, France and Great Britain have once again planted - one cannot put it any other way - into the UN&nbsp;Security Council a draft resolution which has a completely anti-Syrian character,&quot; the RIA Novosti agency quoted Zakharova as saying.

The resolution would exacerbate tensions within Syria and throughout the region, she said.

Zakharova was also quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying: &quot;We do not believe it is expedient to pass a resolution on the chemical weapons attack in its present form.&quot;

Washington, Paris and London have drawn up a draft UN&nbsp;Security Council statement condemning the attack and demanding an investigation. Russia has the power to veto it, as it has done to block all previous resolutions that would harm Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220">Also See:&nbsp;Children become victims of &#39;chemical attack&#39; in Syria</a>

Russia has suggested it would publicly stand by Assad and says the chemical incident which killed scores of people was likely caused by a leak from a depot controlled by Syrian rebels.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told reporters Russia would argue at the United Nations that the rebels were to blame for the chemical contamination.

(Reuters)

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Children among the dead as opposition says Syrian government or Russian jets bombed town with toxic substance (WION)
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Russia has suggested it would publicly stand by Assad, and says the chemical incident was likely caused by Syrian rebels

A proposed United Nations resolution on a chemical weapons attack in Syria is "unacceptable" for Moscow and based on "fake information", Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, based on totally fake information, the United States, France and Great Britain have once again planted - one cannot put it any other way - into the UN Security Council a draft resolution which has a completely anti-Syrian character," the RIA Novosti agency quoted Zakharova as saying. The resolution would exacerbate tensions within Syria and throughout the region, she said. Zakharova was also quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying: "We do not believe it is expedient to pass a resolution on the chemical weapons attack in its present form." Washington, Paris and London have drawn up a draft UN Security Council statement condemning the attack and demanding an investigation. Russia has the power to veto it, as it has done to block all previous resolutions that would harm Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Also See: Children become victims of 'chemical attack' in Syria Russia has suggested it would publicly stand by Assad and says the chemical incident which killed scores of people was likely caused by a leak from a depot controlled by Syrian rebels. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told reporters Russia would argue at the United Nations that the rebels were to blame for the chemical contamination. (Reuters) Children among the dead as opposition says Syrian government or Russian jets bombed town with toxic substance (WION) ×

Proposed UN Syria resolution on chemical weapons attack based on 'fake information', says Russia

More than 300,000 people have fled Mosul since the start of the US-backed campaign to dislodge Islamic State from the northern Iraqi city in October, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The United Nations&#39; International Organisation for Migration estimates the number of people currently displaced to be 302,400, the office of the UN&nbsp;Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said in a statement.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have taken most districts of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where the group&#39;s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.

They are now battling to take the northwestern part from Islamic State but the civilian death toll has mounted in the densely populated Old City, where the militants are dug in amongst residents.

More people are expected to flee the fighting and camps for the displaced north and east of Mosul are expanding, the UN&nbsp;statement said.

(Reuters)

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have taken most districts of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq

More than 300,000 people have fled Mosul since the start of the US-backed campaign to dislodge Islamic State from the northern Iraqi city in October, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The United Nations' International Organisation for Migration estimates the number of people currently displaced to be 302,400, the office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said in a statement. Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have taken most districts of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared a caliphate nearly three years ago. They are now battling to take the northwestern part from Islamic State but the civilian death toll has mounted in the densely populated Old City, where the militants are dug in amongst residents. More people are expected to flee the fighting and camps for the displaced north and east of Mosul are expanding, the UN statement said. (Reuters)

Number of people displaced from Mosul exceeds 300,000: United Nations

The United Nations&#39;&nbsp;Syria envoy sent an urgent appeal Saturday to Russia, Iran and Turkey seeking help to restore a ceasefire, warning that escalating violence was threatening peace talks in Geneva.&nbsp;

UN mediator Staffan de Mistura sent letters to Moscow and Tehran, which back the Damascus regime, as well as Ankara which supports the Syrian opposition, expressing concern over surging violence around the Syrian capital and central Hama province.&nbsp;

&quot;Growing violations in recent days are undermining the ceasefire&quot;, agreed at separate negotiations in Kazakhstan&#39;s capital Astana overseen by the three countries, de Mistura&#39;s office said in a statement.&nbsp;

The violence has had &quot;significant negative consequences for the safety of Syrian civilians, humanitarian access and the momentum of the political process&quot; in Geneva, it added.&nbsp;

De Mistura asked the countries concerned &quot;to undertake urgent efforts to uphold the ceasefire&quot;, said the statement issued during a fifth round of UN-brokered talks in the Swiss city.&nbsp;

Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments.&nbsp;

Syrian government negotiators met the UN mediator earlier Saturday for a session focused on terrorism, which is one of four issues on the agenda this round.&nbsp;

The others are governance, elections and drafting a new constitution. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) met later with de Mistura&#39;s team, and the talks focused on forming a new government to replace President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime -- the rebel&#39;s top priority.

Citing the recent violence, HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri called the Assad government &quot;a killing machine&quot;, while characterising recent rebel attacks on regime positions as &quot;a must for us to defend ourselves.&quot;

Asked if rising violence could see the talks collapse, Hariri said: &quot;if we don&#39;t have that real ceasefire then things will deteriorate very badly.&quot;

Hariri also fiercely condemned Saturday&#39;s air strike on the opposition held town of Hammuriyeh that killed at least 16 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The latest round of talks wrapped up a second full day with little hope of a breakthrough and rivals still deadlocked on key issues. They have not yet met face-to-face.&nbsp;

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad&#39;s regime.

(AFP)

Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments

The United Nations' Syria envoy sent an urgent appeal Saturday to Russia, Iran and Turkey seeking help to restore a ceasefire, warning that escalating violence was threatening peace talks in Geneva. UN mediator Staffan de Mistura sent letters to Moscow and Tehran, which back the Damascus regime, as well as Ankara which supports the Syrian opposition, expressing concern over surging violence around the Syrian capital and central Hama province. "Growing violations in recent days are undermining the ceasefire", agreed at separate negotiations in Kazakhstan's capital Astana overseen by the three countries, de Mistura's office said in a statement. The violence has had "significant negative consequences for the safety of Syrian civilians, humanitarian access and the momentum of the political process" in Geneva, it added. De Mistura asked the countries concerned "to undertake urgent efforts to uphold the ceasefire", said the statement issued during a fifth round of UN-brokered talks in the Swiss city. Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments. Syrian government negotiators met the UN mediator earlier Saturday for a session focused on terrorism, which is one of four issues on the agenda this round. The others are governance, elections and drafting a new constitution. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) met later with de Mistura's team, and the talks focused on forming a new government to replace President Bashar al-Assad's regime -- the rebel's top priority. Citing the recent violence, HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri called the Assad government "a killing machine", while characterising recent rebel attacks on regime positions as "a must for us to defend ourselves." Asked if rising violence could see the talks collapse, Hariri said: "if we don't have that real ceasefire then things will deteriorate very badly." Hariri also fiercely condemned Saturday's air strike on the opposition held town of Hammuriyeh that killed at least 16 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The latest round of talks wrapped up a second full day with little hope of a breakthrough and rivals still deadlocked on key issues. They have not yet met face-to-face. Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime. (AFP)

UN Syria envoy urges Russia, Iran and Turkey to help restore ceasefire

The head of the United Nation&#39;s West Asia commission, Rima Khalaf,&nbsp;resigned on Friday&nbsp;after what she described as pressure from the secretary general Antonio Guterres to withdraw a report accusing Israel of imposing an &quot;apartheid regime&quot; on Palestinians, Reuters reports.

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which comprises 18 Arab states, published the report on Wednesday and said it was the first time a UN&nbsp;body had clearly made the charge, Reuters reports.

They add that UN&nbsp;Under-Secretary General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf announced her resignation at a news conference in Beirut.

The Israeli news site <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4936865,00.html" target="_blank">Ynet news</a>&nbsp;reports that UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday&nbsp;that the report was published without consulting the UN secreteriat first.

They also report that Israel&#39;s foreign minister spokesman liekened the report to a Nazi propoganda publication, describing it as &quot;despicable and a blatant lie&quot;, and&nbsp;adds that the US, a staunch Israeli ally, expressed outrage at the report.

(Reuters)

The report accused Israel of imposing an 'apartheid regime' on Palestinians, the first time this charge has ever been levelled by a UN body

The head of the United Nation's West Asia commission, Rima Khalaf, resigned on Friday after what she described as pressure from the secretary general Antonio Guterres to withdraw a report accusing Israel of imposing an "apartheid regime" on Palestinians, Reuters reports. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which comprises 18 Arab states, published the report on Wednesday and said it was the first time a UN body had clearly made the charge, Reuters reports. They add that UN Under-Secretary General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf announced her resignation at a news conference in Beirut. The Israeli news site Ynet news reports that UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that the report was published without consulting the UN secreteriat first. They also report that Israel's foreign minister spokesman liekened the report to a Nazi propoganda publication, describing it as "despicable and a blatant lie", and adds that the US, a staunch Israeli ally, expressed outrage at the report. (Reuters)

Head of UN West Asia commission resigns over report on 'apartheid' Israel

While Iranians would bear the brunt of Donald Trump&#39;s visa ban, if it ever comes into force, international officials say the country has quietly emerged as one of the most generous towards refugees.

&quot;The leadership demonstrated by the Iranian government has been exemplary in hosting refugees and keeping borders open,&quot; said Sivanka Dhanapala, who heads the UN High Commissioner for Refugees team in Tehran.

&quot;It&#39;s a story that&#39;s not told often enough.&quot;

Iran&nbsp;has been sheltering a million registered Afghans for almost four decades, and NGOs estimate there are around two million more living under the radar.&nbsp;

That&#39;s the fourth-largest refugee population in the world, the UN says.&nbsp;

On Wednesday a federal court in Hawaii halted Trump&#39;s new visa ban on six mostly Muslim nations including&nbsp;Iran, with a judge ruling there was a strong likelihood it would cause &quot;irreparable injury&quot; should it go ahead.

If it comes into force, the&nbsp;executive order would have a particularly tough impact on the one million Iranians living and studying in the US, as well as their families.

Foreign NGO workers have noted the irony that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is targeted by the ban while it continues to deal with huge numbers who have fled an American-led conflict.

Dhanapala highlighted the 2015 decree by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordering schools to take in all Afghan children, documented or not -- a move that left authorities scrambling to build the equivalent of 15,000 new classrooms.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;ve also worked with the government on incorporating refugees into a government-sponsored health insurance scheme which is a ground-breaking development not just for&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;but globally for refugees,&quot; Dhanapala said.&nbsp;

&#39;Bitter life&#39;&nbsp;

Officials are well aware that Afghans still face a harsh existence in&nbsp;Iran.

As in many countries, Iranians are less than&nbsp;pleased to be hosting so many poor foreigners, especially when their economy has been battered by years of sanctions and mismanagement.

The result is that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;does a lot to discourage Afghans from staying, rounding up the undocumented and sending them home.

&quot;Even someone like me, who was born in&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and has lived here 36 years, is not yet an Iranian citizen and the discrimination I face in my education and work is suffocating,&quot; said one Afghan, a relatively well-established professional in Tehran, who asked to remain anonymous.

He is still grateful for his residency permit, which must be renewed every six to 12 months.

&quot;I have never seen Afghanistan, except for the bad images on the media and I truly fear returning,&quot; he said.

&quot;But for 36 years, I have lived in fear of my residency papers not being renewed and it has made life bitter for us.&quot;

Iran&nbsp;has tried to encourage voluntary repatriation, but with a still-raging conflict and moribund economy, only 2,426 went home of their own free will last year -- a record-low figure according to the UN.

Life in the shadows&nbsp;

Many Afghans are in&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;for work, and are a perennial sight on the margins of Tehran life as construction workers, parking attendants and rubbish-pickers.&nbsp;

&quot;What else can we do? I have two daughters and a son back in Afghanistan,&quot; said an undocumented 40-year-old who works as a cleaner and also asked not be named.&nbsp;

He gave up his refugee card so he could visit his family, and came back to&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;with a three-month visa which he could not renew.

&quot;I haven&#39;t visited home for three years. If I go, it takes five to 12 months to get another visa,&quot; he said.

He was 14 when he fled the Soviet war in the 1980s.

&quot;When they catch you on the street, it doesn&#39;t matter if you&#39;ve been here one year or 100, they take you to the deportation camp and make you pay for the bus back to the border,&quot; he said.

&quot;I&#39;ve been sent back a few times. Either you wait for a new visa or come illegally with traffickers. I don&#39;t use the traffickers -- it&#39;s horrible.&quot;

Afghan recruits&nbsp;

Foreign governments have also accused&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;of rounding up young Afghans to fight in Syria.

Iran&nbsp;denies any coercion or government sponsorship, saying they are volunteers, though the families of those killed are given special privileges.

Meanwhile, some NGO workers privately criticise the rough treatment of Afghans, especially in border regions, but all agree&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;deserves far more credit for the burden it has accepted.

The UN hopes&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;will ease restrictions on which jobs Afghans can do, and would like a formal registration process for the undocumented, although it understands fears that this could attract yet more migrants.

But, said Dhanapala, &quot;in a world where you have multiple bad stories about hosting refugees, I think&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is really a good news story&quot;.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Iran has the fourth-largest refugee population in the world, according to the UN

While Iranians would bear the brunt of Donald Trump's visa ban, if it ever comes into force, international officials say the country has quietly emerged as one of the most generous towards refugees. "The leadership demonstrated by the Iranian government has been exemplary in hosting refugees and keeping borders open," said Sivanka Dhanapala, who heads the UN High Commissioner for Refugees team in Tehran. "It's a story that's not told often enough." Iran has been sheltering a million registered Afghans for almost four decades, and NGOs estimate there are around two million more living under the radar. That's the fourth-largest refugee population in the world, the UN says. On Wednesday a federal court in Hawaii halted Trump's new visa ban on six mostly Muslim nations including Iran, with a judge ruling there was a strong likelihood it would cause "irreparable injury" should it go ahead. If it comes into force, the executive order would have a particularly tough impact on the one million Iranians living and studying in the US, as well as their families. Foreign NGO workers have noted the irony that Iran is targeted by the ban while it continues to deal with huge numbers who have fled an American-led conflict. Dhanapala highlighted the 2015 decree by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordering schools to take in all Afghan children, documented or not -- a move that left authorities scrambling to build the equivalent of 15,000 new classrooms. "We've also worked with the government on incorporating refugees into a government-sponsored health insurance scheme which is a ground-breaking development not just for Iran but globally for refugees," Dhanapala said. 'Bitter life' Officials are well aware that Afghans still face a harsh existence in Iran. As in many countries, Iranians are less than pleased to be hosting so many poor foreigners, especially when their economy has been battered by years of sanctions and mismanagement. The result is that Iran does a lot to discourage Afghans from staying, rounding up the undocumented and sending them home. "Even someone like me, who was born in Iran and has lived here 36 years, is not yet an Iranian citizen and the discrimination I face in my education and work is suffocating," said one Afghan, a relatively well-established professional in Tehran, who asked to remain anonymous. He is still grateful for his residency permit, which must be renewed every six to 12 months. "I have never seen Afghanistan, except for the bad images on the media and I truly fear returning," he said. "But for 36 years, I have lived in fear of my residency papers not being renewed and it has made life bitter for us." Iran has tried to encourage voluntary repatriation, but with a still-raging conflict and moribund economy, only 2,426 went home of their own free will last year -- a record-low figure according to the UN. Life in the shadows Many Afghans are in Iran for work, and are a perennial sight on the margins of Tehran life as construction workers, parking attendants and rubbish-pickers. "What else can we do? I have two daughters and a son back in Afghanistan," said an undocumented 40-year-old who works as a cleaner and also asked not be named. He gave up his refugee card so he could visit his family, and came back to Iran with a three-month visa which he could not renew. "I haven't visited home for three years. If I go, it takes five to 12 months to get another visa," he said. He was 14 when he fled the Soviet war in the 1980s. "When they catch you on the street, it doesn't matter if you've been here one year or 100, they take you to the deportation camp and make you pay for the bus back to the border," he said. "I've been sent back a few times. Either you wait for a new visa or come illegally with traffickers. I don't use the traffickers -- it's horrible." Afghan recruits Foreign governments have also accused Iran of rounding up young Afghans to fight in Syria. Iran denies any coercion or government sponsorship, saying they are volunteers, though the families of those killed are given special privileges. Meanwhile, some NGO workers privately criticise the rough treatment of Afghans, especially in border regions, but all agree Iran deserves far more credit for the burden it has accepted. The UN hopes Iran will ease restrictions on which jobs Afghans can do, and would like a formal registration process for the undocumented, although it understands fears that this could attract yet more migrants. But, said Dhanapala, "in a world where you have multiple bad stories about hosting refugees, I think Iran is really a good news story". (AFP)

UN lauds Iran's 'exemplary' efforts in hosting refugees

The Syrian government intentionally bombed the Ain al-Fijeh spring in December, leaving more than five million people in Damascus without access to water, a UN probe said today.

&quot;The information examined by the Commission confirms that the bombing of (the Ain al-Fijeh) spring was carried out by the Syrian Air Force,&quot; the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a report, adding the attack constituted a &quot;war crime&quot;.

The report meanwhile dismissed regime allegations that rebels had contaminated the water.

(AFP)

The UN probe denounced the contamination of water source as a war crime

The Syrian government intentionally bombed the Ain al-Fijeh spring in December, leaving more than five million people in Damascus without access to water, a UN probe said today. "The information examined by the Commission confirms that the bombing of (the Ain al-Fijeh) spring was carried out by the Syrian Air Force," the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a report, adding the attack constituted a "war crime". The report meanwhile dismissed regime allegations that rebels had contaminated the water. (AFP)

UN probe blames Syrian regime for contaminating water source

A total of 66,000 people have been displaced by fighting along two fronts in Syria&#39;s fractured north, the United Nation&#39;s humanitarian coordination agency (OCHA) said on Sunday.&nbsp;

&quot;This includes nearly 40,000 people from Al-Bab city and nearby Taduf town, as well as 26,000 people from communities to the east of Al-Bab&quot; in northern Aleppo province, OCHA said.&nbsp;

Turkey-backed rebels seized Al-Bab from the Islamic State group on February 23 after several months of fighting.

OCHA said the 39,766 people displaced from the town fled north to areas controlled by other rebel forces, and that the &quot;high contamination&quot; of unexploded bombs and booby traps set by retreating jihadists was complicating efforts to return.&nbsp;

And since February 25, OCHA said, another 26,000 people fled violence east of Al-Bab, where Syrian government forces have also been waging a fierce offensive against IS. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Many of those people sought refuge in areas around Manbij, a town controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.&nbsp;

On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group had said 30,000 people had been displaced by fighting between government forces and IS jihadists.&nbsp;

An AFP correspondent in Manbij saw dozens of families speeding towards the relative safety of the town on motorcycles and in minibuses and cars.

Since war broke out in Syria in March 2011, more than half of its population has been forced to flee their homes.

Aleppo province hosts tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, many in camps near the Turkish border.

(AFP)

UN said the figures include 40,000 people from Al-Bab city and nearby Taduf town and 26,000 people from communities to the east of Al-Bab

A total of 66,000 people have been displaced by fighting along two fronts in Syria's fractured north, the United Nation's humanitarian coordination agency (OCHA) said on Sunday. "This includes nearly 40,000 people from Al-Bab city and nearby Taduf town, as well as 26,000 people from communities to the east of Al-Bab" in northern Aleppo province, OCHA said. Turkey-backed rebels seized Al-Bab from the Islamic State group on February 23 after several months of fighting. OCHA said the 39,766 people displaced from the town fled north to areas controlled by other rebel forces, and that the "high contamination" of unexploded bombs and booby traps set by retreating jihadists was complicating efforts to return. And since February 25, OCHA said, another 26,000 people fled violence east of Al-Bab, where Syrian government forces have also been waging a fierce offensive against IS. Many of those people sought refuge in areas around Manbij, a town controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group had said 30,000 people had been displaced by fighting between government forces and IS jihadists. An AFP correspondent in Manbij saw dozens of families speeding towards the relative safety of the town on motorcycles and in minibuses and cars. Since war broke out in Syria in March 2011, more than half of its population has been forced to flee their homes. Aleppo province hosts tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, many in camps near the Turkish border. (AFP)

66,000 displaced in recent north Syria fighting: UN

Both sides in the battle for Aleppo committed war crimes, including Syrian government aircraft that &quot;deliberately&quot; bombed and strafed a humanitarian convoy, killing 14 aid workers and halting relief operations, UN&nbsp;investigators said on Wednesday.

Syrian and Russian forces conducted daily air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo between July and its fall on December 22, killing hundreds and destroying hospitals, they said in their latest report.

Orphanages, schools and homes were &quot;all but obliterated&quot;, panel chairman Paulo Pinheiro told a news conference.

Opposition groups shelled government-controlled western Aleppo, killing and injuring dozens, the report said. They prevented civilians from fleeing besieged eastern Aleppo, using them as human shields - a war crime.

&quot;The scale of what happened in Aleppo is unprecedented in the Syrian conflict. Much of Aleppo, once Syria&#39;s biggest city and its commercial and culture centre and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been reduced to rubble,&quot; Pinheiro said.

He called for ensuring that &quot;those responsible for this ruinous situation one day are brought to justice&quot;.

His team was ready to share its confidential list of suspected war criminals on all sides with a new UN&nbsp;body on Syria being set up in Geneva to prepare criminal prosecutions.

&quot;It cannot pass without having this step toward justice, because of the great numbers of victims,&quot; panel member Carla del Ponte said. &quot;We are still far off.&quot;

Satellite imagery

Cluster munitions were &quot;pervasively used&quot; and air-dropped into densely populated areas, the report said, amounting to the war crime of indiscriminate attacks.

But investigators could not say whether both Syrian and Russian forces used them in Aleppo or only one had because of similarities in the weapons and aircraft used.

They also did not attribute any specific war crime investigated to Russian forces but Pinheiro said they would assign responsibility &quot;if and when we can prove it&quot;.

The UN&nbsp;Commission of Inquiry&#39;s report - released as Syrian peace talks continue in Geneva - covers the July-December period and is based on 291 interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as analysis of forensic evidence and satellite imagery.

Syrian helicopters unleashed toxic chlorine bombs &quot;throughout 2016&quot; on Aleppo, a banned weapon that caused hundreds of civilian casualties there, it said.

At least 5,000 pro-government forces had encircled eastern Aleppo in a &quot;surrender or starve&quot; tactic.

The investigators accused the Syrian government of a &quot;meticulously planned and ruthlessly carried out&quot; air strike on a UN&nbsp;and Syrian Red Crescent convoy at Orum al-Kubra, in rural western Aleppo on Sept&nbsp;19 that killed 14 aid workers.

A previous UN&nbsp;inquiry had been unable to determine who conducted the strike.

&quot;By using air-delivered munitions with the knowledge that humanitarian workers were operating in the location, Syrian forces committed the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid, and attacking civilians,&quot; the report said.

Survivors &quot;consistently described&quot; three stages of attack&nbsp;corroborated by photographs of remnants and satellite analysis.

&quot;First helicopters dropped barrel bombs, which struck the warehouse and a family home nearby ... Subsequently, planes, described by several witnesses as Sukhoi jets, carried out attacks, killing several aid workers. Lastly, the aircraft fired machine guns at survivors.&quot;

(Reuters)

UN investigators said both Syria and Russia conducted daily air strikes on eastern Aleppo in 2016, killing hundreds and destroying hospitals

Both sides in the battle for Aleppo committed war crimes, including Syrian government aircraft that "deliberately" bombed and strafed a humanitarian convoy, killing 14 aid workers and halting relief operations, UN investigators said on Wednesday. Syrian and Russian forces conducted daily air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo between July and its fall on December 22, killing hundreds and destroying hospitals, they said in their latest report. Orphanages, schools and homes were "all but obliterated", panel chairman Paulo Pinheiro told a news conference. Opposition groups shelled government-controlled western Aleppo, killing and injuring dozens, the report said. They prevented civilians from fleeing besieged eastern Aleppo, using them as human shields - a war crime. "The scale of what happened in Aleppo is unprecedented in the Syrian conflict. Much of Aleppo, once Syria's biggest city and its commercial and culture centre and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been reduced to rubble," Pinheiro said. He called for ensuring that "those responsible for this ruinous situation one day are brought to justice". His team was ready to share its confidential list of suspected war criminals on all sides with a new UN body on Syria being set up in Geneva to prepare criminal prosecutions. "It cannot pass without having this step toward justice, because of the great numbers of victims," panel member Carla del Ponte said. "We are still far off." Satellite imagery Cluster munitions were "pervasively used" and air-dropped into densely populated areas, the report said, amounting to the war crime of indiscriminate attacks. But investigators could not say whether both Syrian and Russian forces used them in Aleppo or only one had because of similarities in the weapons and aircraft used. They also did not attribute any specific war crime investigated to Russian forces but Pinheiro said they would assign responsibility "if and when we can prove it". The UN Commission of Inquiry's report - released as Syrian peace talks continue in Geneva - covers the July-December period and is based on 291 interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as analysis of forensic evidence and satellite imagery. Syrian helicopters unleashed toxic chlorine bombs "throughout 2016" on Aleppo, a banned weapon that caused hundreds of civilian casualties there, it said. At least 5,000 pro-government forces had encircled eastern Aleppo in a "surrender or starve" tactic. The investigators accused the Syrian government of a "meticulously planned and ruthlessly carried out" air strike on a UN and Syrian Red Crescent convoy at Orum al-Kubra, in rural western Aleppo on Sept 19 that killed 14 aid workers. A previous UN inquiry had been unable to determine who conducted the strike. "By using air-delivered munitions with the knowledge that humanitarian workers were operating in the location, Syrian forces committed the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid, and attacking civilians," the report said. Survivors "consistently described" three stages of attack corroborated by photographs of remnants and satellite analysis. "First helicopters dropped barrel bombs, which struck the warehouse and a family home nearby ... Subsequently, planes, described by several witnesses as Sukhoi jets, carried out attacks, killing several aid workers. Lastly, the aircraft fired machine guns at survivors." (Reuters)

Syrian air force 'deliberately' bombed humanitarian convoy in Aleppo: UN

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed&nbsp;received the 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award&nbsp;at the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday.

The&nbsp;Rights&nbsp;Award was presented to Nasheed by former high commissioner of the&nbsp;Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe&nbsp;(OSCE),&nbsp;Astrid Thors, on behalf of the&nbsp;coalition of 25 non-governmental human rights groups.

&quot;To President Mohamed Nasheed, for inspiring the world with your extraordinary courage in the defense of liberty and universal human rights,&quot; Thors said while presenting the award.

&quot; It is a great honor to receive this award,&quot;&nbsp;said Nasheed, who thanked human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for helping in&nbsp;freeing him.

&quot;It&#39;s very encouraging to see so many good people doing good work,&nbsp;We may stumble, we may fall, but I assure everyone, we will pick ourselves up and continue with the same work with more vigour than the past.&quot; He said.

The annual summit,&nbsp;held on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council&#39;s annual session, seeks to address the human rights issues around the world that&nbsp;require global attention.

Nasheed&nbsp;joined top&nbsp;dissidents from Cuba, Russia, Turkey, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Mauritania, Iran, Venezuela, who testified on&nbsp;abuses and urged the United Nations&nbsp;Human Rights Council, which opens its annual session next week, to address the human rights records of their home nations.

Nasheed,&nbsp;who has&nbsp;been charged with terrorism and sentenced to jail for 13 years&nbsp;over the abduction and arbitrary detention of a judge during his presidency, has been&nbsp;living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Nasheed has been?living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed received the 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award at the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday. The Rights Award was presented to Nasheed by former high commissioner of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Astrid Thors, on behalf of the coalition of 25 non-governmental human rights groups. "To President Mohamed Nasheed, for inspiring the world with your extraordinary courage in the defense of liberty and universal human rights," Thors said while presenting the award. " It is a great honor to receive this award," said Nasheed, who thanked human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for helping in freeing him. "It's very encouraging to see so many good people doing good work, We may stumble, we may fall, but I assure everyone, we will pick ourselves up and continue with the same work with more vigour than the past." He said. The annual summit, held on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council's annual session, seeks to address the human rights issues around the world that require global attention. Nasheed joined top dissidents from Cuba, Russia, Turkey, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Mauritania, Iran, Venezuela, who testified on abuses and urged the United Nations Human Rights Council, which opens its annual session next week, to address the human rights records of their home nations. Nasheed, who has been charged with terrorism and sentenced to jail for 13 years over the abduction and arbitrary detention of a judge during his presidency, has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year. (WION)

Maldives: Former president Mohamed Nasheed receives 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award

The number of children killed and injured in&nbsp;Afghanistan spiked 24 per cent in 2016, with 923 killed and 2,589 injured, according to a report issued by the United Nations on Monday.

The report also said that 2016 recorded the most deaths and injuries from air strikes since 2009.&nbsp;

Civilian casualties increased by three&nbsp;per cent year-on-year in 2016, the UN investigators said. A total of 3,498 civilians were killed and 7,920 wounded in the conflict in 2016.

&quot;Against a backdrop of protracted ground fighting, the battlefield permeated civilian sanctuaries that should be spared from harm, with suicide attacks in mosques; targeted attacks against district centres, bazaars and residential homes; and the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes,&quot; the United Nations said.

About 61 per cent of all civilian casualties were caused by anti-government groups like the Taliban and Islamic State, it said.

The United Nations attributed at least 4,953 deaths and injuries to the Taliban, but in a shift in 2016, investigators documented a tenfold increase in casualties caused by Islamic State militants.

At least 899 deaths and injuries were attributed to Islamic State.

Afghan security forces caused about 20 per cent of the overall casualties, while pro-government militias and international forces caused two&nbsp;per cent each, the UN said.

The conflict in Afghanistan has killed 24,841 civilians and injured 45,347 since 2009, according to the UN report.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

In a major shift in 2016, investigators documented a tenfold rise in casualties caused by Islamic State militants

The number of children killed and injured in Afghanistan spiked 24 per cent in 2016, with 923 killed and 2,589 injured, according to a report issued by the United Nations on Monday. The report also said that 2016 recorded the most deaths and injuries from air strikes since 2009. Civilian casualties increased by three per cent year-on-year in 2016, the UN investigators said. A total of 3,498 civilians were killed and 7,920 wounded in the conflict in 2016. "Against a backdrop of protracted ground fighting, the battlefield permeated civilian sanctuaries that should be spared from harm, with suicide attacks in mosques; targeted attacks against district centres, bazaars and residential homes; and the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes," the United Nations said. About 61 per cent of all civilian casualties were caused by anti-government groups like the Taliban and Islamic State, it said. The United Nations attributed at least 4,953 deaths and injuries to the Taliban, but in a shift in 2016, investigators documented a tenfold increase in casualties caused by Islamic State militants. At least 899 deaths and injuries were attributed to Islamic State. Afghan security forces caused about 20 per cent of the overall casualties, while pro-government militias and international forces caused two per cent each, the UN said. The conflict in Afghanistan has killed 24,841 civilians and injured 45,347 since 2009, according to the UN report. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Afghan war: Casualty figures among children saw sharp spike in 2016, UN says

UN Security Council (UNSC) member France has backed India&#39;s proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, days after China blocked India&#39;s move.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that since Masood Azhar&#39;s JeM had already been designated a terrorist organisation, there were &quot;very strong arguments in favour&quot; of such a move.

&nbsp;&quot;Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the (Sanctions) Committee&#39;s list of terrorist organisations, therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested,&quot; the French foreign minister, who is on a four-day visit to India said.

Without naming China directly, he said: &quot;The international community&#39;s determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat.&quot;

&quot;That&#39;s why&quot;, he said, France not only supported but also co-sponsored the Indian request at the UNSC.

In February 2015, India submitted a proposal to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC to list Azhar as an international terrorist for allegedly masterminding the attack on an airbase in Pathankot in 2015.

China imposed a &quot;technical hold&quot; on the Indian proposal twice before blocking it on December 30, the only country to do so.

&quot;We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached,&quot; said Ayrault, whose country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

He said France will now discuss with India what should be done. &quot;India knows it can count on our support,&quot; he added.

The French foreign minister, whose country has faced a number of terror attacks over the last few years, pitched for a &quot;decisive action&quot; against &nbsp;Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are &quot;targeting&quot; India.

&quot;France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism,&quot; he said.

He emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism &quot;originating from their territory or territories under their control&quot;.

&quot;We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen,&quot; he said in an obvious reference to Pakistan from where these outfits are believed to have been operating.

The French minister also defended the Indian Army&#39;s &#39;&quot;surgical strikes&quot; against terrorist camps across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016.

&quot;Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the 
right to defend itself,&quot; he said.

Ayrault also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror. &quot;France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis-a-vis this scourge,&quot; he said, adding that the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India and France&#39;s strategic partnership.

In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold &quot;constant and very operational exchanges&quot; on the terrorist threat.

&quot;We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 which was hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999.

At that time, Azhar was a member of the Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including on the Parliament in December 2001.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Its foreign minister said there were 'very strong arguments' to blacklist Masood as his group is already considered a terrorist organisation

UN Security Council (UNSC) member France has backed India's proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, days after China blocked India's move. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that since Masood Azhar's JeM had already been designated a terrorist organisation, there were "very strong arguments in favour" of such a move. "Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the (Sanctions) Committee's list of terrorist organisations, therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested," the French foreign minister, who is on a four-day visit to India said. Without naming China directly, he said: "The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat." "That's why", he said, France not only supported but also co-sponsored the Indian request at the UNSC. In February 2015, India submitted a proposal to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC to list Azhar as an international terrorist for allegedly masterminding the attack on an airbase in Pathankot in 2015. China imposed a "technical hold" on the Indian proposal twice before blocking it on December 30, the only country to do so. "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached," said Ayrault, whose country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. He said France will now discuss with India what should be done. "India knows it can count on our support," he added. The French foreign minister, whose country has faced a number of terror attacks over the last few years, pitched for a "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India. "France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," he said. He emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control". "We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said in an obvious reference to Pakistan from where these outfits are believed to have been operating. The French minister also defended the Indian Army's '"surgical strikes" against terrorist camps across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016. "Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he said. Ayrault also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror. "France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis-a-vis this scourge," he said, adding that the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India and France's strategic partnership. In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold "constant and very operational exchanges" on the terrorist threat. "We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations," he said. Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 which was hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999. At that time, Azhar was a member of the Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including on the Parliament in December 2001. (WION with inputs from PTI)

France backs India's bid to designate Masood Azhar as terrorist by UN

International investigators have said for the first time that they suspect President Bashar al-Assad and his brother are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by Reuters.

A joint inquiry for the United Nations and global watchdog the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had previously identified only military units and did not name any commanders or officials.

Now a list has been produced of individuals whom the investigators have linked to a series of chlorine bomb attacks in 2014-15 - including Assad, his younger brother Maher and other high-ranking figures - indicating the decision to use toxic weapons came from the very top, according to a source familiar with the inquiry.&nbsp;

The Assads could not be reached for comment but a Syrian government official said accusations that government forces had used chemical weapons had &quot;no basis in truth&quot;.

The government has repeatedly denied using such weapons during the civil war, which is almost six years old, saying all the attacks highlighted by the inquiry were the work of rebels or the Islamic State militant group.

The list, which has been seen by Reuters but has not been made public, was based on a combination of evidence compiled by the UN-OPCW team in Syria and information from Western and regional intelligence agencies, according to the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Reuters was unable to independently review the evidence or to verify it.

The UN-OPCW inquiry - known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism - is led by a panel of three independent experts, supported by a team of technical and administrative staff. It is mandated by the UN&nbsp;Security Council to identify individuals and organisations responsible for chemical attacks in Syria.

Virginia Gamba, the head of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, denied any list of individual suspects had yet been compiled by the inquiry.

&quot;There are no ... identification of individuals being considered at this time,&quot; she told Reuters by email.

The use of chemical weapons is banned under international law and could constitute a war crime.

While the inquiry has no judicial powers, any naming of suspects could lead to their prosecution. Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, but alleged war crimes could be referred to the court by the Security Council - although splits among global powers over the war make this a distant prospect at present.

The list could form the basis for the inquiry team&#39;s investigations this year, according to the source. It is unclear whether the United Nations or OPCW will publish the list separately.&nbsp;

&#39;Highest levels&#39; 
The list identifies 15 people &quot;to be scrutinised in relation to use of CW (chemical weapons) by Syrian Arab Republic Armed Forces in 2014 and 2015&quot;. It does not specify what role they are suspected of playing, but lists their titles.

It is split into three sections. The first, titled &quot;Inner Circle President&quot; lists six people including Assad, his brother who commands the elite 4th Armoured Division, the defence minister and the head of military intelligence.

The second section names the air force chief as well as four commanders of air force divisions. They include the heads of the 22nd Air Force Division and the 63rd Helicopter Brigade, units that the inquiry has previously said dropped chlorine bombs.&nbsp;

The third part of the list - &quot;Other relevant Senior Mil Personnel&quot; - names two colonels and two major-generals.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an independent specialist in biological and chemical weapons who monitors Syria, told Reuters the list reflected the military chain of command.&nbsp;

&quot;The decisions would be made at the highest levels initially and then delegated down.&nbsp;Hence the first use would need to be authorised by Assad,&quot; said de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of British and NATO chemical and biological defence divisions who frequently visits Syria for professional consultancy work.&nbsp;

The Syrian defence ministry and air force could not be reached for comment.&nbsp;

Chlorine barrel bombs 
Syria joined the international Chemical Weapons Convention under a U.S.-Russian deal that followed the deaths of hundreds of civilians in a sarin gas attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus in August 2013.

It was the deadliest use of chemicals in global warfare since the 1988 Halabja massacre at the end of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed at least 5,000 people in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Syrian government, which denied its forces were behind the Ghouta attack, also agreed to hand over its declared stockpile of 1,300 tonnes of toxic weaponry and dismantle its chemical weapons programme under international supervision.

The United Nations and OPCW have been investigating whether Damascus is adhering to its commitments under the agreement, which averted the threat of U.S.-led military intervention.

The bodies appointed the panel of experts to conduct the inquiry, and its mandate runs until November. The panel published a report in October last year which said Syrian government forces used chemical weapons at least three times in 2014-2015 and that Islamic State used mustard gas in 2015.

The October report identified Syria&#39;s 22nd Air Force Division and 63rd Helicopter Brigade as having dropped chlorine bombs and said people &quot;with effective control in the military units ... must be held accountable&quot;.&nbsp;

The source familiar with the inquiry said the October report had clearly established the institutions responsible and that the next step was to go after the individuals.

Washington on Thursday blacklisted 18 senior Syrian officials based on the UN-OPCW inquiry&#39;s October report - some of whom also appear on the list seen by Reuters - but not Assad or his brother.

The issue of chemical weapons use in Syria has become a deeply political one, and the UN-OPCW inquiry&#39;s allegations of chlorine bomb attacks by government forces have split the UN Security Council&#39;s veto-wielding members.

The United States, Britain and France have called for sanctions against Syria, while Assad&#39;s ally Russia has said the evidence presented is insufficient to justify such measures.

A Security Council resolution would be required to bring Assad and other senior Syrian officials before the International Criminal Court for any possible war crimes prosecution - something Russia would likely block.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

A joint inquiry for the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had previously identified only military units

International investigators have said for the first time that they suspect President Bashar al-Assad and his brother are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by Reuters. A joint inquiry for the United Nations and global watchdog the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had previously identified only military units and did not name any commanders or officials. Now a list has been produced of individuals whom the investigators have linked to a series of chlorine bomb attacks in 2014-15 - including Assad, his younger brother Maher and other high-ranking figures - indicating the decision to use toxic weapons came from the very top, according to a source familiar with the inquiry. The Assads could not be reached for comment but a Syrian government official said accusations that government forces had used chemical weapons had "no basis in truth". The government has repeatedly denied using such weapons during the civil war, which is almost six years old, saying all the attacks highlighted by the inquiry were the work of rebels or the Islamic State militant group. The list, which has been seen by Reuters but has not been made public, was based on a combination of evidence compiled by the UN-OPCW team in Syria and information from Western and regional intelligence agencies, according to the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. Reuters was unable to independently review the evidence or to verify it. The UN-OPCW inquiry - known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism - is led by a panel of three independent experts, supported by a team of technical and administrative staff. It is mandated by the UN Security Council to identify individuals and organisations responsible for chemical attacks in Syria. Virginia Gamba, the head of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, denied any list of individual suspects had yet been compiled by the inquiry. "There are no ... identification of individuals being considered at this time," she told Reuters by email. The use of chemical weapons is banned under international law and could constitute a war crime. While the inquiry has no judicial powers, any naming of suspects could lead to their prosecution. Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, but alleged war crimes could be referred to the court by the Security Council - although splits among global powers over the war make this a distant prospect at present. The list could form the basis for the inquiry team's investigations this year, according to the source. It is unclear whether the United Nations or OPCW will publish the list separately. 'Highest levels' The list identifies 15 people "to be scrutinised in relation to use of CW (chemical weapons) by Syrian Arab Republic Armed Forces in 2014 and 2015". It does not specify what role they are suspected of playing, but lists their titles. It is split into three sections. The first, titled "Inner Circle President" lists six people including Assad, his brother who commands the elite 4th Armoured Division, the defence minister and the head of military intelligence. The second section names the air force chief as well as four commanders of air force divisions. They include the heads of the 22nd Air Force Division and the 63rd Helicopter Brigade, units that the inquiry has previously said dropped chlorine bombs. The third part of the list - "Other relevant Senior Mil Personnel" - names two colonels and two major-generals. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an independent specialist in biological and chemical weapons who monitors Syria, told Reuters the list reflected the military chain of command. "The decisions would be made at the highest levels initially and then delegated down. Hence the first use would need to be authorised by Assad," said de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of British and NATO chemical and biological defence divisions who frequently visits Syria for professional consultancy work. The Syrian defence ministry and air force could not be reached for comment. Chlorine barrel bombs Syria joined the international Chemical Weapons Convention under a U.S.-Russian deal that followed the deaths of hundreds of civilians in a sarin gas attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus in August 2013. It was the deadliest use of chemicals in global warfare since the 1988 Halabja massacre at the end of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed at least 5,000 people in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Syrian government, which denied its forces were behind the Ghouta attack, also agreed to hand over its declared stockpile of 1,300 tonnes of toxic weaponry and dismantle its chemical weapons programme under international supervision. The United Nations and OPCW have been investigating whether Damascus is adhering to its commitments under the agreement, which averted the threat of U.S.-led military intervention. The bodies appointed the panel of experts to conduct the inquiry, and its mandate runs until November. The panel published a report in October last year which said Syrian government forces used chemical weapons at least three times in 2014-2015 and that Islamic State used mustard gas in 2015. The October report identified Syria's 22nd Air Force Division and 63rd Helicopter Brigade as having dropped chlorine bombs and said people "with effective control in the military units ... must be held accountable". The source familiar with the inquiry said the October report had clearly established the institutions responsible and that the next step was to go after the individuals. Washington on Thursday blacklisted 18 senior Syrian officials based on the UN-OPCW inquiry's October report - some of whom also appear on the list seen by Reuters - but not Assad or his brother. The issue of chemical weapons use in Syria has become a deeply political one, and the UN-OPCW inquiry's allegations of chlorine bomb attacks by government forces have split the UN Security Council's veto-wielding members. The United States, Britain and France have called for sanctions against Syria, while Assad's ally Russia has said the evidence presented is insufficient to justify such measures. A Security Council resolution would be required to bring Assad and other senior Syrian officials before the International Criminal Court for any possible war crimes prosecution - something Russia would likely block. (Reuters)

President Bashar al-Assad linked to Syrian chemical attacks for first time: Report

The UN&#39;s rights envoy for Myanmar arrived in troubled Rakhine state on Friday for a trip north to probe allegations of horrific abuse of Rohingya Muslims by security forces.

Special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee touched down in the state capital Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate escalating violence in Myanmar&#39;s restive ethnic border areas.&nbsp;

Lee has faced threats and been branded a &quot;whore&quot; by Buddhist hardliners on previous visits for her criticism of how Myanmar treats the Rohingya, a stateless group that has suffered years of poverty and repression.&nbsp;

Over the past three months they have been targeted by a military crackdown in northern Rakhine that the UN said has forced at least 65,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh.

In Sittwe, Lee met with senior local officials and then visited the only Muslim neighbourhood left in the city since sectarian clashes in 2012 drove tens of thousands of Rohingya into displacement camps.

&quot;We told her that nothing has changed for us,&quot; a local Muslim called Zaw Zaw told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;We want our children to learn in schools peacefully and we want jobs like we had before.&quot;

Earlier a senior figure from the nationalist Arakan National Party, which controls the state parliament and aggressively opposes any moves to grant the Rohingya citizenship, said they had refused to meet with Lee.

&quot;They offered to meet with us from their side but we have no plans to meet them,&quot; ANP&#39;s vice-president Khine Pyi Soe told AFP.&nbsp;

Villages in northern Rakhine have been under military control since October as the army stages &quot;clearance operations&quot; to find Rohingya insurgents allegedly behind deadly raids on police border posts.

The crisis has drawn a storm of international criticism for the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March.

Lee has slammed the lockdown as &quot;unacceptable&quot; and called for an international investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority.

Ahead of her trip, she said violence in Rakhine had contributed to &quot;disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year&quot;.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has lashed out at Nobel laureate Suu Kyi for not stopping the violence, and next week will host foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for talks on the crisis.

Bangladesh has urged Myanmar&#39;s government to take back the thousands of refugees that have entered already overcrowded camps along the border.

&quot;Bangladesh has demanded (the) quick restoration of (a) normal situation in Rakhine state so that Myanmar nationals... can quickly go back home,&quot; foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said after meeting Myanmar&#39;s special envoy in Dhaka this week.

Myanmar&#39;s foreign ministry said the two sides had &quot;agreed to commence consultations for verification and repatriation&quot; of those who had fled the lockdown.

(AFP)

Special rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, is in Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate the escalating ethnic violence

The UN's rights envoy for Myanmar arrived in troubled Rakhine state on Friday for a trip north to probe allegations of horrific abuse of Rohingya Muslims by security forces. Special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee touched down in the state capital Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate escalating violence in Myanmar's restive ethnic border areas. Lee has faced threats and been branded a "whore" by Buddhist hardliners on previous visits for her criticism of how Myanmar treats the Rohingya, a stateless group that has suffered years of poverty and repression. Over the past three months they have been targeted by a military crackdown in northern Rakhine that the UN said has forced at least 65,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh. In Sittwe, Lee met with senior local officials and then visited the only Muslim neighbourhood left in the city since sectarian clashes in 2012 drove tens of thousands of Rohingya into displacement camps. "We told her that nothing has changed for us," a local Muslim called Zaw Zaw told AFP. "We want our children to learn in schools peacefully and we want jobs like we had before." Earlier a senior figure from the nationalist Arakan National Party, which controls the state parliament and aggressively opposes any moves to grant the Rohingya citizenship, said they had refused to meet with Lee. "They offered to meet with us from their side but we have no plans to meet them," ANP's vice-president Khine Pyi Soe told AFP. Villages in northern Rakhine have been under military control since October as the army stages "clearance operations" to find Rohingya insurgents allegedly behind deadly raids on police border posts. The crisis has drawn a storm of international criticism for the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March. Lee has slammed the lockdown as "unacceptable" and called for an international investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority. Ahead of her trip, she said violence in Rakhine had contributed to "disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year". Muslim-majority Malaysia has lashed out at Nobel laureate Suu Kyi for not stopping the violence, and next week will host foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for talks on the crisis. Bangladesh has urged Myanmar's government to take back the thousands of refugees that have entered already overcrowded camps along the border. "Bangladesh has demanded (the) quick restoration of (a) normal situation in Rakhine state so that Myanmar nationals... can quickly go back home," foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said after meeting Myanmar's special envoy in Dhaka this week. Myanmar's foreign ministry said the two sides had "agreed to commence consultations for verification and repatriation" of those who had fled the lockdown. (AFP)

Myanmar: UN rights envoy reaches Rakhine to probe Rohingya abuse

After some delays, Colombia&#39;s FARC rebels could begin disarming in the coming weeks and the laying down of weapons under the historic peace deal could be completed by early June, a UN envoy has said.

Some 5,700 fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are to lay down their weapons under the agreement signed in November to end more than five decades of conflict in the South American country.

Jean Arnault yesterday told the Security Council that the main focus of the peace effort now was setting up 26 UN-monitored camps where the rebels will gather to hand over their weapons.

Once the camps are set up, this &quot;will hopefully allow the arms laydown process to begin in the next few weeks,&quot; said Arnault, the head of the UN political mission in Colombia.

Colombia&#39;s government and the rebel leadership are determined &quot;to do everything possible to meet the original goal of the comprehensive laydown of weapons by early June,&quot; he added.

An amnesty law passed in late December cleared one of the hurdles in the way of disarmament, but Arnault cited logistical problems linked to the large number and remote locations of the camps among other issues.

About 350 of the 450 monitors serving in a UN peace mission have been deployed to oversee the laying down of weapons.

Construction has begun on one-third of the camps while preparations are ongoing in another third, but the remainder face difficulties, said Arnault.

&quot;We do share the perception that an overly protracted process and a loss of momentum would not be in anybody&#39;s interest,&quot; the envoy said.

The UN mission was embroiled in controversy earlier this month when Colombian media broadcast videos of UN monitors dancing with FARC fighters at a New Year&#39;s Eve party at a camp.

Four monitors were repatriated to their home countries over the incident.

Swedish ambassador Olof Skoog, who holds the council presidency this month, said following closed-door talks on Colombia that &quot;everyone has welcomed the swift action taken by the leadership to rectify the situation.&quot;

(AFP)

Jean Arnault said the main focus now was setting up 26 UN-monitored camps, where the rebels will gather to hand over their weapons

After some delays, Colombia's FARC rebels could begin disarming in the coming weeks and the laying down of weapons under the historic peace deal could be completed by early June, a UN envoy has said. Some 5,700 fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are to lay down their weapons under the agreement signed in November to end more than five decades of conflict in the South American country. Jean Arnault yesterday told the Security Council that the main focus of the peace effort now was setting up 26 UN-monitored camps where the rebels will gather to hand over their weapons. Once the camps are set up, this "will hopefully allow the arms laydown process to begin in the next few weeks," said Arnault, the head of the UN political mission in Colombia. Colombia's government and the rebel leadership are determined "to do everything possible to meet the original goal of the comprehensive laydown of weapons by early June," he added. An amnesty law passed in late December cleared one of the hurdles in the way of disarmament, but Arnault cited logistical problems linked to the large number and remote locations of the camps among other issues. About 350 of the 450 monitors serving in a UN peace mission have been deployed to oversee the laying down of weapons. Construction has begun on one-third of the camps while preparations are ongoing in another third, but the remainder face difficulties, said Arnault. "We do share the perception that an overly protracted process and a loss of momentum would not be in anybody's interest," the envoy said. The UN mission was embroiled in controversy earlier this month when Colombian media broadcast videos of UN monitors dancing with FARC fighters at a New Year's Eve party at a camp. Four monitors were repatriated to their home countries over the incident. Swedish ambassador Olof Skoog, who holds the council presidency this month, said following closed-door talks on Colombia that "everyone has welcomed the swift action taken by the leadership to rectify the situation." (AFP)

Colombia rebels could begin disarming in coming weeks: UN envoy

Pakistan has handed over a dossier on India&#39;s alleged &quot;interference&quot; in the country to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asked the world body to play a role in &quot;restraining&quot; India from such activities.

Pakistan&#39;s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on &quot;India&#39;s interference and terrorism in Pakistan&quot; in a meeting with the UN chief on Friday along with a letter from the Prime Minister&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Guterres&#39; spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy. When asked about what was discussed in the meeting, which took place at around noon, he said he did not have &quot;any indication&quot; of what was discussed in the meeting.

&quot;The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015,&quot; the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad.

In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of &quot;Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistan&#39;s long-standing position about India&#39;s involvement in such activities.&quot;

He also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism.

Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning &quot;subversive activities&quot; in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.

India&#39;s &quot;hostile intentions&quot; towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter.

He claimed Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism.

Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in &quot;restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(PTI)

Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy

Pakistan has handed over a dossier on India's alleged "interference" in the country to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asked the world body to play a role in "restraining" India from such activities. Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on "India's interference and terrorism in Pakistan" in a meeting with the UN chief on Friday along with a letter from the Prime Minister's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz. Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy. When asked about what was discussed in the meeting, which took place at around noon, he said he did not have "any indication" of what was discussed in the meeting. "The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad. In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of "Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistan's long-standing position about India's involvement in such activities." He also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism. Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning "subversive activities" in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government. India's "hostile intentions" towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter. He claimed Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism. Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in "restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security". (PTI)

Pakistan hands over dossier on 'India's interference' to UN chief

It was only an abstention, but it was a long time coming. With just weeks left in office, Barack Obama finally gave vent to his frustration with Israel.

The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN Security Council to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote.

But officials confirmed they had been watching draft resolutions in circulation for a least a year and were ready to take a stand when one made it to the table.

Critics of Obama&#39;s Middle East policy allege that he has long been manoeuvring to engineer an opportunity to isolate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

White House aides, however, insist they had simply run out of ways to convince Israel that its building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace.

Either way, Friday&#39;s UN vote ordering a halt to Israel&#39;s settlement building will stand as the final word from Obama before Donald Trump takes power.

&quot;Prime Minister Netanyahu had the opportunity to pursue policies that would have led to a different outcome today,&quot; Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said.

&quot;The fact that this is happening towards the end of our eighth year indicates that it is not our preferred course of action.

&quot;If it was an outcome that we sought, then we would have done it long ago.&quot;

For months, Washington has been warning in increasingly strident tones that Israel&#39;s accelerating settlement program is destroying hopes for a two-state peace deal.

This month, Secretary of State John Kerry told a US-Israeli forum in Washington that right-wing members of Netanyahu&#39;s government are deliberately working to that end.

After Friday&#39;s UN vote, the US special envoy to the peace process, Frank Lowenstein, said Kerry would in the coming days make a speech laying out ideas to revive it.

&#39;Grudge match&#39;

The White House insists the UN resolution, which Israel wasted no time in rejecting, simply reflects the consensus view of the international community on Israeli settlements.

But Obama&#39;s abstention came under withering criticism from across Washington -- with both Democrats and Republicans accusing the outgoing president of colluding with a biased world body to betray an ally.

President-elect Trump, who had earlier convinced Egypt to postpone the vote from Thursday, implied in a Tweet that he would punish the United Nations.

Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, who had lobbied the administration until the last minute, called the decision to let the vote pass &quot;extremely frustrating, disappointing and confounding.&quot; &nbsp;

And AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group in Washington, said: &quot;By adopting this resolution, the United Nations has once again served as an open forum to isolate and delegitimize Israel.&quot;

And many suggested Obama&#39;s decision, made while the president was on a Christmas break in Hawaii, had as much to do with his bad blood with Netanyahu as with diplomacy.

Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of Washington think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dubbed the relationship a &quot;grudge match.&quot;

Netanyahu made no secret of his friendship with Obama&#39;s 2012 election opponent Mitt Romney, and last year broke protocol to go behind the US president&#39;s back and address Congress to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

The two men have never hit it off, and the White House has never hidden its frustration with the bellicose rhetoric of Israel&#39;s right-wing coalition.

Schanzer suggested that if Hillary Clinton had won last month&#39;s presidential election, Obama would have deferred to her desire to rebuild warmer ties with Israel and held off on UN action.

But, faced with an incoming Trump presidency that may support settlement building, he opted for a binding Security Council vote that will weaken Israel&#39;s position in any future peace talks.

&quot;You can&#39;t unring this bell,&quot; Schanzer said.

(AFP)

The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote

It was only an abstention, but it was a long time coming. With just weeks left in office, Barack Obama finally gave vent to his frustration with Israel. The White House said Obama had decided to allow the UN Security Council to pass a motion condemning Israeli settlement building just hours before the vote. But officials confirmed they had been watching draft resolutions in circulation for a least a year and were ready to take a stand when one made it to the table. Critics of Obama's Middle East policy allege that he has long been manoeuvring to engineer an opportunity to isolate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. White House aides, however, insist they had simply run out of ways to convince Israel that its building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace. Either way, Friday's UN vote ordering a halt to Israel's settlement building will stand as the final word from Obama before Donald Trump takes power. "Prime Minister Netanyahu had the opportunity to pursue policies that would have led to a different outcome today," Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said. "The fact that this is happening towards the end of our eighth year indicates that it is not our preferred course of action. "If it was an outcome that we sought, then we would have done it long ago." For months, Washington has been warning in increasingly strident tones that Israel's accelerating settlement program is destroying hopes for a two-state peace deal. This month, Secretary of State John Kerry told a US-Israeli forum in Washington that right-wing members of Netanyahu's government are deliberately working to that end. After Friday's UN vote, the US special envoy to the peace process, Frank Lowenstein, said Kerry would in the coming days make a speech laying out ideas to revive it. 'Grudge match' The White House insists the UN resolution, which Israel wasted no time in rejecting, simply reflects the consensus view of the international community on Israeli settlements. But Obama's abstention came under withering criticism from across Washington -- with both Democrats and Republicans accusing the outgoing president of colluding with a biased world body to betray an ally. President-elect Trump, who had earlier convinced Egypt to postpone the vote from Thursday, implied in a Tweet that he would punish the United Nations. Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, who had lobbied the administration until the last minute, called the decision to let the vote pass "extremely frustrating, disappointing and confounding." And AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group in Washington, said: "By adopting this resolution, the United Nations has once again served as an open forum to isolate and delegitimize Israel." And many suggested Obama's decision, made while the president was on a Christmas break in Hawaii, had as much to do with his bad blood with Netanyahu as with diplomacy. Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of Washington think-tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dubbed the relationship a "grudge match." Netanyahu made no secret of his friendship with Obama's 2012 election opponent Mitt Romney, and last year broke protocol to go behind the US president's back and address Congress to oppose the Iran nuclear deal. The two men have never hit it off, and the White House has never hidden its frustration with the bellicose rhetoric of Israel's right-wing coalition. Schanzer suggested that if Hillary Clinton had won last month's presidential election, Obama would have deferred to her desire to rebuild warmer ties with Israel and held off on UN action. But, faced with an incoming Trump presidency that may support settlement building, he opted for a binding Security Council vote that will weaken Israel's position in any future peace talks. "You can't unring this bell," Schanzer said. (AFP)

After eight years, Obama lets Israel frustration show

The head of the UN human rights agency said on Friday that Congolese security forces had killed at least 40 people and arrested 460 in protests against President Joseph Kabila this week.

&quot;Such high casualty figures suggest a serious disregard ... of the need to exercise restraint in policing demonstrations,&quot; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein said in a statement.

Protests erupted against Kabila when he failed to step down despite his mandate expiring on Tuesday.

&quot;Not only are soldiers participating in law enforcement operations, but all the forces involved are heavily armed and using live ammunition,&quot; Zeid said, also noting that 107 more people had been &quot;injured or ill-treated.&quot;

(Reuters)

Protests erupted against Kabila when he failed to step down despite his mandate expiring on Tuesday

The head of the UN human rights agency said on Friday that Congolese security forces had killed at least 40 people and arrested 460 in protests against President Joseph Kabila this week. "Such high casualty figures suggest a serious disregard ... of the need to exercise restraint in policing demonstrations," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a statement. Protests erupted against Kabila when he failed to step down despite his mandate expiring on Tuesday. "Not only are soldiers participating in law enforcement operations, but all the forces involved are heavily armed and using live ammunition," Zeid said, also noting that 107 more people had been "injured or ill-treated." (Reuters)

Congo: 40 killed, 460 arrested in protests against Kabila, says UN

A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filled a charge sheet against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in the Pathankot attack, India took on Pakistan at the United Nations and called on the hostile neighbour to leave behind its ways of terrorism, with the warning saying that, &quot;what you sow will bear fruit&quot;.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, India&#39;s permanent envoy to the UN&nbsp;Syed Akbaruddin in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said that safe havens being provided to terrorists must be dealt with in order to bring sustainable peace.

&quot;We need to address, as an imperative, the support that terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Daesh, Al- Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed which operate entirely outside the fabric of international law draw from their shadowy supporters outside Afghanistan,&quot; he said.

Quoting poet Rumi, Akbaruddin said &quot;what you sow will bear fruit. If you&#39;ve any sense my friend, don&#39;t plant anything but peace,&quot; which seemed to be a clear message to Islamabad to refrain from stooping to terrorism.

The NIA on Monday filed a chargesheet in the NIA special court against senior commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed including its Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, for their involvement in the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase on 2nd January, 2016.

(ANI)

India's UN envoy, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said sustainable peace depends on not giving terrorists safe haven

A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filled a charge sheet against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in the Pathankot attack, India took on Pakistan at the United Nations and called on the hostile neighbour to leave behind its ways of terrorism, with the warning saying that, "what you sow will bear fruit". Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, India's permanent envoy to the UN Syed Akbaruddin in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said that safe havens being provided to terrorists must be dealt with in order to bring sustainable peace. "We need to address, as an imperative, the support that terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Daesh, Al- Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed which operate entirely outside the fabric of international law draw from their shadowy supporters outside Afghanistan," he said. Quoting poet Rumi, Akbaruddin said "what you sow will bear fruit. If you've any sense my friend, don't plant anything but peace," which seemed to be a clear message to Islamabad to refrain from stooping to terrorism. The NIA on Monday filed a chargesheet in the NIA special court against senior commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed including its Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, for their involvement in the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase on 2nd January, 2016. (ANI)

India targets Pakistan on terror at UN: 'What you sow will bear fruit'

Indian &quot;belligerence&quot; is a threat to regional peace and can lead to &quot;strategic miscalculation&quot;, Pakistan told the envoys of the P5 countries in Islamabad on Friday while briefing them over alleged &quot;ceasefire violations&quot; by India.

Pakistan Prime Minister&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz briefed the heads of missions of the P5 -- the US, China, Russia, the UK and France -- on the &quot;continued unprovoked ceasefire violations&quot; by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB), the Foreign Office here said.

Foreign office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that representatives of China, France, Russian Federation, the UK and the US were briefed at the foreign ministry.

Aziz stated that the Indian &quot;belligerence&quot; is a threat to the regional peace and security and can lead to a strategic miscalculation, which would be disastrous for the region, the Foreign Office said.

The adviser strongly condemned the &quot;reprehensible attack on the civilian bus in the Neelum Valley on November 23 in complete violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding and international law, especially the international humanitarian law,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;The Indian forces also fired upon the ambulances that had come to rescue the injured people from the site of the attack. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is condemnable and deplorable and must be investigated,&quot; Aziz was quoted as saying.

Aziz referred to persistent &quot;ceasefire violations&quot; by India, especially during the last two months which he claimed had resulted in the loss of more than 45 civilian lives and caused injuries to more than 139 others along the border &nbsp;in an effort to divert international attention from the continuing &quot;human rights violations in the Kashmir&quot;.

Aziz has also addressed letters to the foreign ministers of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, on the escalation along the LoC and Indian ceasefire violations, the Foreign Office here said.

Copies of these letters were also handed over to the heads of missions, it said.

Aziz called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council to play a crucial role in maintaining global peace and security and urge India to immediately put an end to the &quot;escalation and bloodshed&quot; at the LoC, it added.

(PTI)

Pakistan PM's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz briefed envoys of US,China,Russia,UK and France on alleged ceasefire violations by India

Indian "belligerence" is a threat to regional peace and can lead to "strategic miscalculation", Pakistan told the envoys of the P5 countries in Islamabad on Friday while briefing them over alleged "ceasefire violations" by India. Pakistan Prime Minister's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz briefed the heads of missions of the P5 -- the US, China, Russia, the UK and France -- on the "continued unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB), the Foreign Office here said. Foreign office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that representatives of China, France, Russian Federation, the UK and the US were briefed at the foreign ministry. Aziz stated that the Indian "belligerence" is a threat to the regional peace and security and can lead to a strategic miscalculation, which would be disastrous for the region, the Foreign Office said. The adviser strongly condemned the "reprehensible attack on the civilian bus in the Neelum Valley on November 23 in complete violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding and international law, especially the international humanitarian law," the statement said. "The Indian forces also fired upon the ambulances that had come to rescue the injured people from the site of the attack. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is condemnable and deplorable and must be investigated," Aziz was quoted as saying. Aziz referred to persistent "ceasefire violations" by India, especially during the last two months which he claimed had resulted in the loss of more than 45 civilian lives and caused injuries to more than 139 others along the border in an effort to divert international attention from the continuing "human rights violations in the Kashmir". Aziz has also addressed letters to the foreign ministers of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, on the escalation along the LoC and Indian ceasefire violations, the Foreign Office here said. Copies of these letters were also handed over to the heads of missions, it said. Aziz called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council to play a crucial role in maintaining global peace and security and urge India to immediately put an end to the "escalation and bloodshed" at the LoC, it added. (PTI)

Indian 'belligerence' threat to regional peace: Pakistan to P5 envoys

Aid workers in eastern Aleppo were distributing the last available food rations on Thursday as the quarter of a million people besieged in the Syrian city entered what is expected to be a cruel winter, UN&nbsp;humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said.

The United Nations sent a four-part humanitarian plan to all parties to the conflict several days ago, covering delivery of food and medical supplies, medical evacuations and access for health workers, and Egeland said he was hopeful of a deal.

&quot;I do believe we will be able to avert mass hunger this winter,&quot; he told reporters in Geneva, adding that he had the clear impression that Russia would continue its pause in air operations over the northern city.

(Reuters)

Quarter of a million people besieged in the Syrian city have entered what is expected to be a cruel winter

Aid workers in eastern Aleppo were distributing the last available food rations on Thursday as the quarter of a million people besieged in the Syrian city entered what is expected to be a cruel winter, UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said. The United Nations sent a four-part humanitarian plan to all parties to the conflict several days ago, covering delivery of food and medical supplies, medical evacuations and access for health workers, and Egeland said he was hopeful of a deal. "I do believe we will be able to avert mass hunger this winter," he told reporters in Geneva, adding that he had the clear impression that Russia would continue its pause in air operations over the northern city. (Reuters)

UN says rations run out in east Aleppo, hopes for aid deal

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it had preliminary reports about scores of killings by the Islamic State (IS) around Mosul in the past week, international&nbsp;news agency Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

The UN also said it&nbsp;received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle.

&nbsp;

UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN briefing in Geneva that the bodies of 70 civilians with bullet wounds had been discovered by Iraqi security forces in Tuloul Naser village on October 20, according to Reuters.

&nbsp;

Fifty former police officers who were held outside Mosul city were reportedly killed on Sunday, Colville added.

&nbsp;

He said the reports, from a variety of sources used in the past, were hard to verify, so they should be treated as preliminary and not definitive, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

The UN?said it also received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it had preliminary reports about scores of killings by the Islamic State (IS) around Mosul in the past week, international news agency Reuters reported. The UN also said it received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle. UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN briefing in Geneva that the bodies of 70 civilians with bullet wounds had been discovered by Iraqi security forces in Tuloul Naser village on October 20, according to Reuters. Fifty former police officers who were held outside Mosul city were reportedly killed on Sunday, Colville added. He said the reports, from a variety of sources used in the past, were hard to verify, so they should be treated as preliminary and not definitive, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

UN gets reports of massacres by Islamic State around Mosul

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen appealed to renew the 72-hour ceasefire in the country, while battle rages on between the Houthi rebels and the government forces.&nbsp;

The 72-hour ceasefire had been imposed on Wednesday night and ended on Saturday. The temporary truce was called in to allow aid to be sent to the war-torn country.&nbsp;

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy wrote on his facebook page, saying &quot;With the 72-hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours&quot;.

&quot;We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days,&quot; he added.

He also tweeted, urging regional and the international community to cease all hostilities.&nbsp;

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&mdash; UN Envoy to Yemen (@OSESGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/OSESGY/status/788143282593423360">October 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(Translation:&nbsp;I call upon all the parties and the regional and international community to promote the full respect of the cessation of hostilities even lead to a permanent end to the conflict in Yemen.)

The ceasefire held on despite repeated violations from both sides. According to military officials, the fighting between the two groups has been going on for the past two days.&nbsp;

The UN envoy on Friday said he was trying to collaborate with both groups &quot;to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace&quot; in Yemen.

Late on Friday, he met with Yemen&#39;s vice president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Ahmar accused the rebels of committing 449 violations within 24-hours of the ceasefire taking place and asserted that the government forces were &quot;exercising restraint&quot; and they were asked to &quot;abide by the truce and respect UN efforts&quot;.

However, the Houthi rebel-controlled media slammed the Saudi-led coalition forces for shelling across the country.&nbsp;

This is the sixth ceasefire attempt since March 2015, when the Saudi-led forces began fighting Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi&#39;s rebels. The conflict has left nearly 6,900 dead and about three million displaced and in need of aid.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he will cooperate with both groups 'to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace' in Yemen

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen appealed to renew the 72-hour ceasefire in the country, while battle rages on between the Houthi rebels and the government forces. The 72-hour ceasefire had been imposed on Wednesday night and ended on Saturday. The temporary truce was called in to allow aid to be sent to the war-torn country. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy wrote on his facebook page, saying "With the 72-hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours". "We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days," he added. He also tweeted, urging regional and the international community to cease all hostilities. ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? — UN Envoy to Yemen (@OSESGY) October 17, 2016 × (Translation: I call upon all the parties and the regional and international community to promote the full respect of the cessation of hostilities even lead to a permanent end to the conflict in Yemen.) The ceasefire held on despite repeated violations from both sides. According to military officials, the fighting between the two groups has been going on for the past two days. The UN envoy on Friday said he was trying to collaborate with both groups "to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace" in Yemen. Late on Friday, he met with Yemen's vice president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, AFP reported. Ahmar accused the rebels of committing 449 violations within 24-hours of the ceasefire taking place and asserted that the government forces were "exercising restraint" and they were asked to "abide by the truce and respect UN efforts". However, the Houthi rebel-controlled media slammed the Saudi-led coalition forces for shelling across the country. This is the sixth ceasefire attempt since March 2015, when the Saudi-led forces began fighting Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's rebels. The conflict has left nearly 6,900 dead and about three million displaced and in need of aid. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UN envoy for Yemen appeals for ceasefire renewal

The United Nations General Assembly, that comprises of 193 members, unanimously appointed former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres as the ninth secretary-general on Thursday.

Guterres will replace Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two five-year terms.

Guterres was &nbsp;Portugal&#39;s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and has served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.

His term as secretary-general of the world body begins on January 1.

Guterres pledged on Thursday to act as an &quot;honest broker&quot;, Reuters reported.

&quot;Diversity can bring us together, not drive us apart,&quot; Guterres told the General Assembly, Reuters reported.

&quot;We must make sure that we are able to break this alliance between all those terrorist groups or violent extremists on one side and the expressions of populism and xenophobia on the other side,&quot; he said. &quot;These two reinforce each other, and we must be able to fight both of them with determination.&quot;, Guterres said,

He beat 12 other candidates, including many women, amid a push for the first woman to be elected as secretary-general.

Guterres told the General Assembly that protection and empowerment of women and girls was his priority commitment. He also pledged to work towards the gender parity within the UN.&nbsp;

&quot;We have selected a candidate who is prepared to cut past the jargon and the acronyms and the sterile briefings and get real,&quot; US Ambassador Samantha Power told the General Assembly, Reuters reported.

&quot;He knows the only measure of our work here is whether we are or are not helping and supporting real people.&quot;

A senior UN Security Council diplomat told Reuters that several people had insisted that Guterres did not do any deals to win Russia and China&#39;s votes.

&quot;(Guterres is) the sort of person who will pick a strong team around him, appointment on merit,&quot; said the diplomat, adding that, while he had not heard it directly from any Chinese diplomats &quot;it is clear (China is) making a significant challenge for the Department of Peacekeeping.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The former Portugese prime minister will replace Ban Ki-moon of South Korea who has served two five-year terms

The United Nations General Assembly, that comprises of 193 members, unanimously appointed former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres as the ninth secretary-general on Thursday. Guterres will replace Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two five-year terms. Guterres was Portugal's prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and has served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. His term as secretary-general of the world body begins on January 1. Guterres pledged on Thursday to act as an "honest broker", Reuters reported. "Diversity can bring us together, not drive us apart," Guterres told the General Assembly, Reuters reported. "We must make sure that we are able to break this alliance between all those terrorist groups or violent extremists on one side and the expressions of populism and xenophobia on the other side," he said. "These two reinforce each other, and we must be able to fight both of them with determination.", Guterres said, He beat 12 other candidates, including many women, amid a push for the first woman to be elected as secretary-general. Guterres told the General Assembly that protection and empowerment of women and girls was his priority commitment. He also pledged to work towards the gender parity within the UN. "We have selected a candidate who is prepared to cut past the jargon and the acronyms and the sterile briefings and get real," US Ambassador Samantha Power told the General Assembly, Reuters reported. "He knows the only measure of our work here is whether we are or are not helping and supporting real people." A senior UN Security Council diplomat told Reuters that several people had insisted that Guterres did not do any deals to win Russia and China's votes. "(Guterres is) the sort of person who will pick a strong team around him, appointment on merit," said the diplomat, adding that, while he had not heard it directly from any Chinese diplomats "it is clear (China is) making a significant challenge for the Department of Peacekeeping.” (WION with inputs from Reuters)

UN appoints Antonio Guterres as next secretary-general

Haiti faces a humanitarian crisis that requires a &quot;massive response&quot; from the international community, with at least 1.4 million people needing emergency aid following last week&rsquo;s Hurricane Matthew, &nbsp;the United Nations chief said on Monday.

&quot;A massive response is required,&quot; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters.

&quot;Some towns and villages have been almost wiped off the map,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;These numbers and needs are growing as more affected areas are reached.&quot;

The storm has left at least 372 dead in the impoverished Caribbean nation, with the toll likely to soar.

The United Nations has launched a $120 million flash appeal to cover the needs in Haiti for the next three months, AFP reported.

After battering Haiti on October 4 as a Category 4 storm, that packed winds of 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour, Matthew slammed into the southeastern United States and killed 20.

In Haiti, more than 300 schools have been damaged, while crops and food reserves have been destroyed, Ban said.

UN aid chief Stephen O&rsquo;Brien said the hurricane had triggered the worst humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, AFP reported.

The department of Grande Anse in Haiti&rsquo;s southwest saw the most devastation with 198 dead, 97 injured and nearly 99,400 people staying in temporary shelters.

More than 175,500 are in shelters elsewhere in the country, AFP said.&nbsp;Deliveries of supplies were slowed by cut roads and communications.

&quot;I understand of course the frustration,&quot; Jean-Luc Poncelet, the country representative for the UN&rsquo;s World Health Organisation told AFP. &ldquo;the storm&rsquo;s impact in the south and west of the Tiburon Peninsula has been &quot;really catastrophic.&quot;

&quot;When you have no means of communication, no radio, no telephone, no roads and even a helicopter can&rsquo;t land -- this is what explains the massive delay,&quot; he told AFP.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The UN has launched a $120 million flash appeal to cover Haiti's needs for the next three months

Haiti faces a humanitarian crisis that requires a "massive response" from the international community, with at least 1.4 million people needing emergency aid following last week’s Hurricane Matthew, the United Nations chief said on Monday. "A massive response is required," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters. "Some towns and villages have been almost wiped off the map," he said. "These numbers and needs are growing as more affected areas are reached." The storm has left at least 372 dead in the impoverished Caribbean nation, with the toll likely to soar. The United Nations has launched a $120 million flash appeal to cover the needs in Haiti for the next three months, AFP reported. After battering Haiti on October 4 as a Category 4 storm, that packed winds of 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour, Matthew slammed into the southeastern United States and killed 20. In Haiti, more than 300 schools have been damaged, while crops and food reserves have been destroyed, Ban said. UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien said the hurricane had triggered the worst humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, AFP reported. The department of Grande Anse in Haiti’s southwest saw the most devastation with 198 dead, 97 injured and nearly 99,400 people staying in temporary shelters. More than 175,500 are in shelters elsewhere in the country, AFP said. Deliveries of supplies were slowed by cut roads and communications. "I understand of course the frustration," Jean-Luc Poncelet, the country representative for the UN’s World Health Organisation told AFP. “the storm’s impact in the south and west of the Tiburon Peninsula has been "really catastrophic." "When you have no means of communication, no radio, no telephone, no roads and even a helicopter can’t land -- this is what explains the massive delay," he told AFP. (WION with inputs from AFP)

1.4 million in need of aid in hurricane battered Haiti: UN

A divided UN security council failed to adopt two Syria resolutions on Saturday.&nbsp;

The council was to vote on the rival draft resolutions - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that was similar but made no mention of ending its bombardment of the city.

During the meeting, Russia first vetoed the French draft, making it the fifth time that the country has used its power to veto to block UN action on ending the five-year war in Syria.

The draft by France&nbsp;had won 11 votes in favour but two votes against, from Russia and Venezuela. There were two abstentions which included veto-holder China.

Shortly after the Russian veto, the security council rejected the rival draft presented by Moscow by a vote of nine against, four in favour and two abstentions.

Russia, China, Egypt and Venezuela voted in favour of the Russian measure while Angola and Uruguay abstained.

&quot;A lonely veto and just four votes in favor of your text,&quot; British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told the Russian ambassador after the second vote, AFP reported.

&quot;A double humiliation&quot;, he called it.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he expected his draft text to be rejected, but stressed that he had warned France repeatedly that its measure was &quot;doomed.&quot;, an AFP report said.

The Syrian and Russian bombing campaign has escalated in the past few weeks, inviting an international scrutiny. The failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia has also been a blow to the already tense ties between the two countries.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the mounting tensions between Washington and Moscow over the conflict had created a situation &quot;more dangerous&quot; than the Cold War.

&quot;It&rsquo;s a fallacy to think that this is like the Cold War,&quot; Steinmeier said in an interview published by Bild newspaper.

&quot;The current times are different and more dangerous.&quot;

Since the regime offensive began a few days after a US- and Russian-brokered ceasefire collapsed, at least 290 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in rebel-held areas, 57 of them children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

50 civilians including nine children have been killed in rebel shelling on regime-held areas of the city, according to the Britain-based monitoring group, AFP reported.&nbsp;

It said government forces were making further advances on Saturday ahead of the Security Council session.

&quot;The battle is unfolding in the center, particularly in the Bustan al-Basha district where the army is advancing, in Sheikh Said in the south, and on the northern outskirts where the regime has taken the Uwaija neighborhood,&quot; Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The monitor reported heavy air strikes on the rebel-held Fardos and Sukari neighborhoods. An AFP correspondent said the raids mostly hit combat zones in the city.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Russia and the West both wanted to bring the civil war to an end, but the former did not specify whether it would stop bombing Aleppo

A divided UN security council failed to adopt two Syria resolutions on Saturday. The council was to vote on the rival draft resolutions - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that was similar but made no mention of ending its bombardment of the city. During the meeting, Russia first vetoed the French draft, making it the fifth time that the country has used its power to veto to block UN action on ending the five-year war in Syria. The draft by France had won 11 votes in favour but two votes against, from Russia and Venezuela. There were two abstentions which included veto-holder China. Shortly after the Russian veto, the security council rejected the rival draft presented by Moscow by a vote of nine against, four in favour and two abstentions. Russia, China, Egypt and Venezuela voted in favour of the Russian measure while Angola and Uruguay abstained. "A lonely veto and just four votes in favor of your text," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told the Russian ambassador after the second vote, AFP reported. "A double humiliation", he called it. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he expected his draft text to be rejected, but stressed that he had warned France repeatedly that its measure was "doomed.", an AFP report said. The Syrian and Russian bombing campaign has escalated in the past few weeks, inviting an international scrutiny. The failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia has also been a blow to the already tense ties between the two countries. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the mounting tensions between Washington and Moscow over the conflict had created a situation "more dangerous" than the Cold War. "It’s a fallacy to think that this is like the Cold War," Steinmeier said in an interview published by Bild newspaper. "The current times are different and more dangerous." Since the regime offensive began a few days after a US- and Russian-brokered ceasefire collapsed, at least 290 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in rebel-held areas, 57 of them children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. 50 civilians including nine children have been killed in rebel shelling on regime-held areas of the city, according to the Britain-based monitoring group, AFP reported. It said government forces were making further advances on Saturday ahead of the Security Council session. "The battle is unfolding in the center, particularly in the Bustan al-Basha district where the army is advancing, in Sheikh Said in the south, and on the northern outskirts where the regime has taken the Uwaija neighborhood," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. The monitor reported heavy air strikes on the rebel-held Fardos and Sukari neighborhoods. An AFP correspondent said the raids mostly hit combat zones in the city. (WION with inputs from AFP)

West, Russia nix opposing UN resolutions to end Syria war

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Saturday on rival draft resolutions on Syria - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that is similar but makes no mention of ending military flights over the &nbsp;battered Syrian city.

The French draft is most likely to be vetoed by Russia while Moscow&rsquo;s text is essentially the French draft with Russian amendments that brings the failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia back into focus.

&ldquo;This is a cynical attempt to divert attention away from the bombing of Aleppo,&rdquo; British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of the Russian draft, Reuters reported. 
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The 15-member council was negotiating on a French text for the past one week. &nbsp;A Saturday vote on that was called after French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow on Thursday and Washington on Friday to discuss the resolution. 
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Following Ayrault&rsquo;s visit, Moscow proposed its own draft and said it would be put to a vote immediately after the vote on the French draft, which is likely to be blocked by Russia because it &quot;demands that all parties immediately end all aerial bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city.&quot;

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s forces, backed by Russian war planes and Iranian support, have been battling to capture eastern Aleppo, the rebel-held half of Syria&rsquo;s largest city.

&quot;This is not a draft which is right for adoption, I have this suspicion that the real motive is to cause a Russian veto,&quot; Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told Reuters on Friday of the French text. &quot;I cannot possibly see how we can let this resolution pass.&quot;

Security Council diplomats have told Reuters that while the Russian draft contained a lot of reasonable language, the lack of any references to ending air strikes on Aleppo was likely to be a problem.

In order to be adopted, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes. The council veto powers are the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China.

The US has already suspended talks with Russia on implementing a ceasefire deal in Syria and has accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments to halt fighting.

The failed ceasefire deal is annexed to the Russian draft UN resolution, which urges Moscow and Washington to ensure the implementation of the agreement. It stresses an &quot;urgent need to achieve and verify separating moderate opposition forces from &lsquo;Jabhat Al-Nusra&rsquo; &nbsp;as a key priority.&quot;

Nearly half &nbsp;of Syria&rsquo;s 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed ever since the civil war started in 2011.

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(WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

 
 
 
 
 
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The two draft resolutions include a French text seeking end to air strikes and a Russian one that does not mention ending military flights

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Saturday on rival draft resolutions on Syria - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that is similar but makes no mention of ending military flights over the battered Syrian city. The French draft is most likely to be vetoed by Russia while Moscow’s text is essentially the French draft with Russian amendments that brings the failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia back into focus. “This is a cynical attempt to divert attention away from the bombing of Aleppo,” British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of the Russian draft, Reuters reported. The 15-member council was negotiating on a French text for the past one week. A Saturday vote on that was called after French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow on Thursday and Washington on Friday to discuss the resolution. Following Ayrault’s visit, Moscow proposed its own draft and said it would be put to a vote immediately after the vote on the French draft, which is likely to be blocked by Russia because it "demands that all parties immediately end all aerial bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, backed by Russian war planes and Iranian support, have been battling to capture eastern Aleppo, the rebel-held half of Syria’s largest city. "This is not a draft which is right for adoption, I have this suspicion that the real motive is to cause a Russian veto," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told Reuters on Friday of the French text. "I cannot possibly see how we can let this resolution pass." Security Council diplomats have told Reuters that while the Russian draft contained a lot of reasonable language, the lack of any references to ending air strikes on Aleppo was likely to be a problem. In order to be adopted, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes. The council veto powers are the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. The US has already suspended talks with Russia on implementing a ceasefire deal in Syria and has accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments to halt fighting. The failed ceasefire deal is annexed to the Russian draft UN resolution, which urges Moscow and Washington to ensure the implementation of the agreement. It stresses an "urgent need to achieve and verify separating moderate opposition forces from ‘Jabhat Al-Nusra’ as a key priority." Nearly half of Syria’s 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed ever since the civil war started in 2011. (WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

UN council to vote on rival Syria resolutions today

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