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UN EXPERTS INVESTIGATING purported poison gas attacks left their Damascus hotel today, but anti-regime activists said the team’s destination was not immediately known.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the team would be leaving Syria on Saturday.
The inspectors spent two days this week taking biological samples and interviewing survivors in the suburbs of Damascus where Syrian activists say hundreds were killed in the August 21 attacks.
Sky News reports that the Syrian government has written a letter to British MPs, urging them not to be ‘reckless’.
Commons will debate the Syrian issue this afternoon.
USA
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said that he has concluded the Syrian regime is behind the attack. But it is not clear if the Western powers will wait for the UN experts’ findings before launching a possible punitive military strike.
Speaking in Vienna today, Ban asked for time for the inspection team to complete its investigation, including a scientific analysis of the samples after they leave Syria. All opinions should be heard before decisions are made on a possible response, he said.
The US has signaled it would act even without backing from its allies or the UN.
Britain
Activists block Whitehall near the junction with Downing Street during an event organised by Stop the War Coalition to protest against potential UK involvement in the Syrian conflict in London. Pic: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Britain’s opposition Labour Party has indicated it may not support even a watered down version of a government resolution on Syria.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said today he is unwilling to give Prime Minister David Cameron a “blank cheque” for conducting possible future military operations against Syria.
He had earlier forced Cameron to back down on calls for an immediate strike in order to assess UN inspectors’ evidence about a possible Syrian government chemical attack on its own people.
Labour’s position leaves the results of a parliamentary vote expected late today in doubt. If approved, the measure would authorize possible strikes in principle but would require a second vote after the UN report.
The government says it plans to publish its legal advice on a possible attack today.
France
Syrian refugee boys play soccer at Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Pic: AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon
A French defence spokesman said the French military is ready to commit forces to an operation in Syria if President Francois Hollande decides to do so.
French Defense Ministry spokesman Pierre Bayle told reporters today that “the French armed forces have put themselves at the ready to respond to the instructions of the president if he takes the decision to commit French forces” to an international intervention in Syria’s civil war.
While Hollande has spoken out strongly against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, today he stressed the importance of a political solution and making the Syrian opposition a stronger and more viable alternative.
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Would be great to overlay this report with one on how safe each area is, using criminality statistics.
I’m paying $2,000 (€1,350) for a 2 bed apartment in one of the nicest suburbs in Melbourne. 5 min walk to train station and in 10 mins I’m in the city. Yet the perception is that everything in Oz costs a bomb. Dublin you’re losing the plot.
The Aussie dollar has depreciated by 1/3 in the last year.
Not to mention that Melbourne is a 2nd tier city, Dublin is more on par with Sydney considerably more expensive than Melbourne.
Not sure where you’re getting your figures from but AUD v EUR is at pretty much the same rate as it was a year ago. Melbourne is a rapidly expanding city, voted the worlds most livable city in the world for the last 3 years and has had massive investment from overseas. There is no way the average gaff in Shankill should cost more. Sydney is a basket case like London and any comparison to Dublin is ridiculous.
Drew put the bottle down and go to bed! Melbourne a second tier city compared to Dublin?? I’m not sure I’ve heard anything more ridiculous! A population of more than 4 million people with great transport infrastructure and a great cultural scene! It’s an amazing city.
It’s cold brrrrr
Doesn’t take you long to pick up the attitudes of the attitudes and rivalries of locals now did it…
Nothing changes the fact that Sydney is the largest and most in demand commercial centre of Australia, likewise Dublin is the largest and most commercial centre of Ireland.
Fact is $1 million Aussie will get you 40sqm on the current market in sydney, while it will get you 90sqm in Melbourne.
Which would be useful if we were comparing Sydney and Melbourne. But we’re comparing Dublin and Melbourne. I absolutely love both cities but it’s ridiculous that you get more bang for your buck in Melbourne all things considered.
Exactly… You’re comparing rent in the second tier commercial center of a country with the first tier of another country.
The comparison is not like for like.
There’s no place like home though.
Pretty sure this article ran last week too. Is Daft not getting the clicks this month?
Last week was purchase prices, this is rent.
Oh hum – well it’s a free market !
There is no residential property within walking distance of the Citywest Business Campus stop so what are daft basing their figure on for this one?
My brother lives a 4 min walk from Citywest stop. Trapped in horrendous negative equity though
The headline and lead make it seem as if there’s a strong correlation between distance from the city centre and rent prices. In reality, the differences are mostly due to neighbourhood type.
Should have bought an apartment in Spencer Dock in 2013. Would be 100 grand richer at least by now.
Many green Line tickets cost more too!
Renting lol
Negative equity lol
Having a fair society lol
Where are the 5 cheapest places to buy a home? I only see the 5 most expensive ?
have your say