US-Russia wrangling widens UN Council divide on Syria

UNITED NATIONS: Wrangling between the United States and Russia over the Syria crisis left the UN Security Council even further from reaching an accord on ways to end the bloodshed, diplomats said.

Council members are now waiting to see if President Bashar al-Assad keeps a commitment to respond by Tuesday to proposals made by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to end the killing, diplomats said. The United States, Britain, France and Germany led calls for Russia and China to agree a Security Council resolution condemning the violence, which the UN says has left well over 7,500 dead in the past year. AFP