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Assad vows to do his best to maintain ceasefire

Tuesday, 01 March 2016 2:26 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 01 March 2016 2:24 PM ]

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on February 20, 2016 shows President Bashar al-Assad gesturing during an interview with Spanish daily El Pais in the Syrian capital Damascus. AFP

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promised to do his best so that the ongoing ceasefire holds in the war-ravaged country. Assad hailed the present truce as a glimmer of hope, warning about a grave humanitarian situation in Syria. The US-Russian brokered ceasefire has been in place since Saturday.
Russia is warning that Turkey’s military buildup on the border and the shelling of Syrian territory could jeopardize the ceasefire and peace process in that country. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says Moscow is concerned over the increasing military activities on the Turkish-Syrian border.
Nigerian Muslims accuse the government of violating the law by detaining a prominent Shia cleric and his followers without charge. They say President Muhammadu Buhari is not following the rule of law. Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky and his followers have been in custody for over 70 days without access to lawyers.
A Turkish rights group says the policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spell disaster for the country. In a declaration signed by numerous academics and individuals, the Ankara Freedom of Thought Initiative says the current crisis in the country is due to Erdogan's plans to establish an executive-style presidency.
Clashes have broken out in the French coastal town of Calais after recently-evicted refugees attempted to disrupt traffic on a major motorway. Police used teargas to disperse the protesting refugees. The sprawling encampment, known as the Jungle, was subject to demolition on Monday morning.
Israel has taken 40 Palestinians into detention without charge or trial amid a rising campaign of intimidation across the occupied territories. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Israel has also extended the administrative detention of 45 other Palestinians in the past ten days. The controversial procedure allows holding the detainees indefinitely.
People have held a rally in the US state of Utah to protest the recent police shooting of a 17-year-old Muslim refugee. Somali refugee Abdi Mohammed was in coma for two days after being shot twice by police on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a resolution aimed at expanding sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. The resolution has been drafted by the United States and China. It calls for new sanctions against Pyongyang over its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

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