SYRIA UPRISING: Syrian rebels call Peace Prize 'premature'

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to those investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria has been welcomed by Syria's Ruling Party, which claims it gave the government credibility, but Syrian rebels call Peace Prize "a premature step".

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: US credits Syria for chemical weapons 'compliance'

US Secretary of State John Kerry lauded Syria's compliance with the UN resolution calling to destroy the country's chemical weapons arsenal. He also said that Syria gave credit to the Damascus regime that it moved quickly to eliminate the banned weapons. Kerry told reporters along side Russian Foreign Minister Sergei LAvrov on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Indonesia.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: Dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons begins

Experts from the Hague-based OPCW and UN personnel assisting them begun the process of destroying Syria's chemical weapons. All eyes are on the process despite the lingering civil uprising.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: Assad says Turkey will pay high price

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad warns Turkey that they will pay a heavy price for backing insurgents fighting to oust him. It was stated during an interview with Turkish television aired on Friday and he also warned that Islamic extremist groups will eventually turn against Turkey. He also said that he will run for next year's elections if he sees that the Syrian people want him to stay on.

STORY: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: OPCW inspectors arrive in Syria

An advance team of chemical weapons inspectors, sent by the Hague-based OPCW, has arrived in Damascus, Syria, to start preparations to destroy the country's chemical weapons. They entered Syria via road from Beirut, Lebanon.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: Paris investigates French assets of Assad's uncle

French authorities opened a preliminary investigation into the assets of Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, whom anti-corruption groups accuse of illegally obtaining a vast fortune of his property empire. The complaint by anti-corruption groups alleges the 76-year-old illegally obtained "extraordinary wealth" through corruption and embezzlement.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: Syria accepts UN resolution

Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem expressed his government's intention to abide by the UNSC's resolution demanding the elimination of the country's chemical weapons. He spoke to NHK in New York where he is visiting to address the General Assembly.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: UNSC may vote on Syria resolution on Friday

5 permanent members of the UN Security Council have agreed on a draft where the council could vote on the Syria resolution to remove Syria's chemical weapons on Friday if watchdogs approves the plan. The agreement was reached by foreign minsters from the five powers on Thursday. If Syria fails to comply, the UN will allow sanctions and military action.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: France’s Hollande firm on Syria, hopeful on Iran

French president Francois Hollande told the United Nations that despite the Russian deal to have Syria surrender its chemical weapons, "coercive measures" must be take if the regime failed to live up to its agreement.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: Assad said they have large chemical weapons stockpile

In an interview aired by China's state-run CCTV, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad said his country has been stockpiling large amounts of chemical weapons and his government will guarantee the safety of inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons but warned that insurgents may try to block the inspections to prevent implementing its agreement and then blame it.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: Syria completes handover of chemical weapons details

Syria finally disclosed the details of its chemical weapons arsenal in accordance with the deadline set by the USA and Russia, the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said as Syria handed over the remaining details, meeting the deadline under a deal that headed off military strikes, the world's chemical weapons watchdog said.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: French man arrested for 'provoking' terror online

A 26-year-old webmaster of a jihadist website linked to al-Qaeda has been arrested by French security forces in Normandy on charges of "provoking" terrorism, just as the government warned that hundreds of homegrown Islam extremists were signing up to fight in Syria. Identified as "Romain", he was detained for his admin role of Ansar al Haqq website, a "reference" for the radical Islamist movement, and as a translator of magazines put out by militant group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Paris prosecutors said.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: Putin vows to get Syria rid of chemical weapons

Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed himself to accomplish a plan to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. At a conference on Thursday, Putin referred on the agreement between the US and Russia that urges the Syrian government to surrender its chemical weapons. Putin noted that although he could not be 100% certain, recent moves make him confident that the plan will be accomplish. He also noted that Syria agreed to cooperate and applied to join an international agreement banning chemical weapons.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: Pro-al-Qaeda fighters clash with Free Syrian Army

An al-Qaeda affiliated rebel group overrun a northern Syrian town following heavy clashes with Western-backed opposition forces. The Free Syrian Army says they're engaged in fierce fighting against al-Qaeda linked militants in the town of Azaz near the Turkish border from Wednesday through Thursday. 6 People were killed in the fighting, making Azaz now controlled by the Islamic extremists almost entirely.

Story: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: $1B, 1 year needed to destroy Syria's chemical weapons

Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad promised he would surrender Syria's chemical weapons but warned that it would take at least a year to do so and cost one billion dollars. His latest appearance came as the UN envoys debated a draft resolution that would encourage the US-Russian plan to secure and neutralize his banned weapons in international law.

Story: INTERAKSYON.COM

SYRIA UPRISING: Syrians treated in Israeli hospitals

Despite that both Syria and Israel are officially at war, there are some wounded Syrians have been treated in Israeli hospitals. Since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011 Israeli policy has remained neutral, at least publicly.

Story: FRANCE24

SYRIA UPRISING: 40% of Syrian children drop out of school

According to the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF, the Syria uprising forced 40% of the Syrian children drop out of school. The conflict has damaged about 4000 elementary and junior high schools and around 2 million children aged between 6 to 15 cannot continue their education. Most of these Syrian children believed to have fled the country or evacuated to safer places.

Source: NHK WORLD

SYRIA UPRISING: Ban submits Syria report to UNSC

Update taken from NHK World:

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has submitted to the Security Council an investigators' report confirming chemical-weapon usage in Syria.

He received the report on Sunday and released a statement on Monday.

The investigators collected blood and environmental samples. And they interviewed survivors and other witnesses in the Damascus suburbs where the alleged chemical attack took place on August 21st.

They reported that almost all samples tested positive for the nerve gas sarin.

The investigators also identified surface-to-surface rockets capable of carrying chemical agents.

But they did not say which side used the rockets.

US and European officials say photos attached to the report indicate the rockets belong to the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

Ban said any use of chemical weapons is a crime. He called on the international community to hold the perpetrator accountable.

Sep. 16, 2013 - Updated 20:50 UTC

Syria Uprising - Week in Review (September 14, 2013)

Welcome to another special segment I made called "Syria Uprising - Week in Review" where every week, I had to tackle what's going on in the latest developments of the Syrian crisis. I won't stop covering up those until this resolves so anyway...here is the week of review of what's what in the Syrian crisis. More reports to be added on this blog as the Syria Uprising unfolds...

September 9, 2013

- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Syria to hand over their chemical weapons as a possible means to avert military strikes considered by the US and its allies.

- Syrian president Bashar al-Assad warns "everything possible" if Syria was attacked by air strikes. It was stated in an interview broadcast on US television as US lawmakers consider measures authorizing the strike against his regime.

- US Secretary of State, John Kerry, stressed any military action against Syria would be limited, saying that the US is not going to war.

- Iran is making a diplomatic push to prevent a potential US strike against Syria in connection with the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

September 10, 2013

- The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait is making preparations for OFW's there as Kuwait might get into the Syria uprising.

- “When we see what’s happening in Syria, we thank God everyday for our good luck, for the chance to be in France,” says Lina K.

- US President Barack Obama urged Americans to support a military strike against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons but he will also pursue a diplomatic response. He made the statements in a televised speech from the White House.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his US counterpart, Obama, to drop its plan to attack Syria before asking Syrian president Assad to hand over the chemical weapons.

- Syrian PM Wael al-Halki has reportedly accepted Russia's proposal to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control.

September 11, 2013

- UN Security Council members disagree over Syria's action to hand over chemical weapons to the Russians. In response to the Russian proposal, US tentatively hold off the military strikes against Syria.

- Russian president Putin will meet Iran's new leader, Hassan Rouhani, for the first time this week with an offer to supply Iran with missile systems and build a second nuclear reactor.

- Rebel factions said that they would withdraw from Maaloula, just days after seizing control.

- Jihadist video condemning intervention in Syria exposed as fake.

September 12, 2013

- Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says that he will accept Russia's proposal to join the anti-chemical weapon treaty.

- US-Russian talks open on Syria's chemical arsenal.

- Top nuclear envoys said that Iran wants constructive nuclear talks

September 13, 2013

- Louay Al-Mokdad, Free Syrian Army spokesman, thinks Moscow’s suggestion is "just a new trick" to buy Assad more time.

- The US and Russia agreed to meet at the United Nations in late September in a bid to bring the warring parties in Syria together for an international conference. They began 2nd day of talks on the Syria uprising and the chemical weapons issue.

- United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for committing crimes against humanity as top diplomats from Russia and the US prolonged meetings in Geneva over the Syria uprising.