UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accused the Syrian regime of potential crimes against humanity yesterday as activists reported new violence in Deraa, the city where the uprising against President Bashar Al Assad started 11 months ago.
Speaking to reporters in Vienna, Mr Ban demanded the Syrian regime stop using indiscriminate force against civilians caught up in fighting between government troops and Mr Al Assad's opponents.
"We see neighbourhoods shelled indiscriminately, hospitals used as torture centres, children as young as 10 years old chained and abused," Mr Ban said. "We see almost a certain crime against humanity."
Syrian activists said government forces attacked Deraa yesterday, killing four people, carrying out arrests and shooting randomly in the city seen as the birthplace of the uprising. Government troops also pummelled Homs for a 13th straight day with 18 people being killed in Hama province.
The push into Deraa, located near the Jordanian border 130 kilometres south of Damascus, follows the sieges on Homs and Hama and appears to be part of an effort by the regime to extinguish major pockets of dissent.
The UN General Assembly scheduled a vote yesterday on an Arab-sponsored resolution strongly condemning human-rights violations by the Syrian regime and backing an Arab League plan aimed at ending the conflict.
UN diplomats said the resolution, which already has 60 co-sponsors, was certain to be approved.
On Wednesday, Mr Al Assad ordered a February 26 referendum on a new constitution that would create a multiparty system in Syria, which has been ruled by his family dynasty for 40 years.
The Local Coordination Committees, a Syrian opposition group, yesterday urged voters to boycott the referendum and to step up efforts to oust Mr Al Assad. The United States dismissed the referendum as an empty gesture.
Also yesterday Syrian rights activist Mazen Darwish, 38, who heads the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, was arrested in Damascus as was prominent Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi.
* With reporting by the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
