NEW YORK: The UN Security Council was expected to vote, probably on Friday, on a 30-day extension of a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria to allow for negotiations after Russia vetoed a renewal of the probe. The expert team is tasked with determining who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The attack on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian airbase a few days later. Syria has denied using chemical weapons, with strong backing from its main ally Russia. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the Russian veto was a blow to international efforts to curb the use of chemical weapons.

Source: Pakistan Today November 17, 2017 08:37 UTC