Ban: Syrian crisis 'getting worse'

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the crisis in Syria is getting worse and claiming more lives every day even though President Bashar Assad’s government insists it is withdrawing troops ahead of a UN deadline to end the violence.

The UN chief last night appealed to Assad “to show vision and leadership” and keep his pledge to pull troops and heavy weapons out of cities and towns by April 10, and he urged the opposition to be ready to stop all violence if the Syrian government meets the deadline.