Topic: Conflict in Syria

The United Nations Thursday accused the Syrian government of "gross human rights violations" constituting crimes against humanity.

Uprisings sweeping the Middle East are the most significant challenge to authoritarianism since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a pro-democracy group says.

There are numerous signs that crimes against humanity are being committed in Syria, a former member of an Arab League monitoring team said.

Amid calls for tough measures against Syria over its crackdown on protesters, the European Union said it is planning further sanctions against the country.

There is a "growing need" for Syrian opposition movements to unite under a common banner for the sake of eventual transition, the British government said.

President Barack Obama met with Jordanian King Abdullah in the White House Tuesday and said afterward the king has shown "great leadership" in the Middle East.

No more Arab blood should be spilled in Syria to serve a foreign agenda, the government said after rejecting a proposal for Arab military intervention.

The arrest of a retired telecoms expert on suspicion of spying for Israel for 35 years has stunned Lebanon where 150 foreign agents have been arrested since 2009.

The U.N. Security Council received a new draft resolution from Russia on Syria opposing any firm action against the Assad regime, diplomats said.

Turkish officials say the Russian vessel suspected of delivering arms to Syria against a European Union arms embargo has anchored off Turkey's coast.