Syrian Opposition Council

The main Syrian opposition council said on Wednesday the agenda proposed by the United Nations for peace talks was positive and it had noted fewer government violations of a cessation of hostilities agreement in the past day.

The Syrian opposition council has yet to be officially informed of UN plans to hold a new round of peace talks on March 9 and no serious discussions can begin before detainees are freed and blockades are lifted, an opposition official said on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was set to hold talks with senior Emirati and Saudi officials in Abu Dhabi today to find ways to bring Syrian opposition groups together at a conference that will be hosted by Saudi Arabia next month.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has not dropped plans to seek parliamentary support to bomb Islamist militants in Syria, a source in his office said after reports that he had done so.

President Barack Obama is expected to meet with the head of Syria's opposition council in the coming days, as the US weighs the possibility of more economic sanctions aimed at changing Syrian President Bashar Assad's calculus ahead of June elections.

Western and Arab powers agreed with Syrian opposition leaders Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad should play no future role in government, but they struggled to convince the rebels to attend key peace talks in Geneva next month.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon held his first meeting Saturday with the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition in a bid to press for a Syria peace conference.

In a symbolic blow to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, senior Arab diplomats said Sunday that they will transfer Syria's seat in their main regional group to opposition forces.

More than 200 Syrians, mostly civilians, were massacred in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen, opposition activists said.

Syria's main opposition group today slammed the regime for holding parliamentary polls "under gunfire," saying it did not have the legitimacy to run elections. The Syrian National Council, an exiled opposition umbrella organisation, in a statement condemned the regime's decision to hold elections "under gunfire, missiles of all kinds and genocide."

Syrian opposition groups say government shelling and firefights between troops and army defectors have killed at least 24 in a village in central Syria. Syrian forces have launched offensives across the country as a cease-fire deadline brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan nears. UN leader Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that increased attacks by ...

The main Syrian opposition council said on Wednesday the agenda proposed by the United Nations for peace talks was positive and it had noted fewer government violations of a cessation of hostilities agreement in the past day.

The Syrian opposition council has yet to be officially informed of UN plans to hold a new round of peace talks on March 9 and no serious discussions can begin before detainees are freed and blockades are lifted, an opposition official said on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was set to hold talks with senior Emirati and Saudi officials in Abu Dhabi today to find ways to bring Syrian opposition groups together at a conference that will be hosted by Saudi Arabia next month.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has not dropped plans to seek parliamentary support to bomb Islamist militants in Syria, a source in his office said after reports that he had done so.

President Barack Obama is expected to meet with the head of Syria's opposition council in the coming days, as the US weighs the possibility of more economic sanctions aimed at changing Syrian President Bashar Assad's calculus ahead of June elections.

Western and Arab powers agreed with Syrian opposition leaders Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad should play no future role in government, but they struggled to convince the rebels to attend key peace talks in Geneva next month.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon held his first meeting Saturday with the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition in a bid to press for a Syria peace conference.

In a symbolic blow to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, senior Arab diplomats said Sunday that they will transfer Syria's seat in their main regional group to opposition forces.

More than 200 Syrians, mostly civilians, were massacred in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen, opposition activists said.

Syria's main opposition group today slammed the regime for holding parliamentary polls "under gunfire," saying it did not have the legitimacy to run elections. The Syrian National Council, an exiled opposition umbrella organisation, in a statement condemned the regime's decision to hold elections "under gunfire, missiles of all kinds and genocide."

Syrian opposition groups say government shelling and firefights between troops and army defectors have killed at least 24 in a village in central Syria. Syrian forces have launched offensives across the country as a cease-fire deadline brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan nears. UN leader Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that increased attacks by ...