Following a late-day closed-door briefing to the Security Council on the latest developments, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson reiterated Ban’s deep shock at reports of chemical weapons use in Syria.

“We see the need to investigate this as soon as possible; no matter what the conclusions, this represents a serious escalation with grave humanitarian and human consequences,” Eliasson told reporters outside the Council chamber.

He added that the UN investigation team is “in place” and that he and Ban hope the Syrian Government will give its consent so that the probe can be carried out.

“This should also be seen in the larger and broader perspective, namely the great need for cessation of hostilities,” he said of the dramatic situation, underscoring that: “What this incident has shown is that we must contain this conflict,” especially given its regional implications, and now, the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, which is to be investigated.

Stressing that there has been no confirmation of chemical weapons use, the Deputy-Secretary-General said senior UN officials are in contact with the Syrian Government.

Also at the microphone, Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina, President of the Security Council during the month of August, said there is “strong concern among the Council members” about the allegations, and a general sense that there must be clarity on what happened and that the situation has to be followed carefully.

A UN team is currently in Syria spending up to 14 days, with a possible extension, probing the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Government at Khan al-Asal, as well as two other allegations reported by Member States.

The team “is following the current situation in Syria carefully, and remains fully engaged in the investigation process that is mandated by the Secretary General,” Ban’s spokesperson told journalists in New York.

According to the agreement reached in Damascus in July, the two parties are discussing, in parallel, other allegations and their related sites.

“Professor [Åke] Sellström is in discussions with the Syrian Government on all issues pertaining to the alleged use of chemical weapons, including this most recent reported incident,” the spokesperson noted.

He added that Ban is aware that a number of Member States, the Arab League and the European Union have expressed grave concern about the most recent reports of the possible use of chemical weapons.

Ban and the Security Council reiterated that the use of chemical weapons by any side under any circumstances would violate international law, and reaffirmed the need for a “thorough investigation” of the alleged incidents, according to the spokesperson, as well as a need to cease hostilities.

Also today, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the reported attacks on civilians, which “presumably” included children on the outskirts of Damascus are “deeply disturbing.”

“Such horrific acts should be a reminder to all the parties and all who have influence on them that this terrible conflict has gone on far too long and children have suffered more than enough,” the UN agency said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Cairo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby today to discuss a range of issues, including efforts towards a political solution to the conflict in Syria.

The Joint Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, who reports to both organizations, has been supporting efforts on a political solution including a second international conference on Syria to be held in Geneva.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda condemned the killing on 13 July of seven peacekeepers serving with the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and the wounding of 17 military and police personnel.

The ambush carried out by a large unidentified group, which drew condemnation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council, was one of the most serious attacks against the mission since its deployment in early 2008, and the third in the past few weeks. The office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have committed such crimes should the national authorities fail to.

“The Prosecutor reminds all parties to the conflict that the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction in Darfur […] and that the intentional directing of attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes,” said a statement issued by the Prosecutor’s office.

“The office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have committed such crimes should the national authorities fail to,” it added. “The Prosecutor calls on the Government of Sudan to carry out a prompt and full investigation and to hold all those responsible to account.”

Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes – if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

The Darfur region of Sudan is one of eight situations currently under investigation by the ICC. The others are northern Uganda, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Libya, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire.

“I join the government and the people of Somalia in condemning these senseless acts of terror,” the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, said in the statement from the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS).

“My thoughts are with families and friends of those killed and injured,” Mr. Mahiga added.

Initial reports indicate that many innocent civilians were killed including women and at least one child, according to UNPOS. Many more were injured in the blasts, which occurred in multiple locations, including at the Regional Court House.

Media sources reported that the assault on the court house consisted of a car bomb explosion and armed attackers who stormed the compound. Witnesses said people rushed to exit the building, some by climbing down ladders leaning against the court house walls.

The Al-Shabaab, an Islamist armed group reportedly linked to Al-Qaida, has claimed responsibility.

Mr. Mahiga was “shocked and outraged” by today’s attacks, UNPOS said, stressed that Somalia is making remarkable progress toward stabilization and these great strides “will not be overshadowed by the desperate acts of these cowardly terrorists.”

“The international community will continue to support the Federal government in their efforts to ensure a safe and secure Somalia for all its citizens,” Mahiga stressed.

Somalia marked a historic political watershed last August when it swore-in the first formal parliament and ended a so-called “transition” phase which had begun with the 2004 launch of a UN-backed interim government. The previous functioning government ended in 1991 with the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

The Secretary-General established UNPOS on 15 April 1995, to help advance the cause of peace and reconciliation through contacts with Somali leaders, civic organisations and the states and organisations concerned.

“I am heading to the region to appeal personally for ending the violence and contribute to ongoing efforts to that end,” he said in a statement.

The new wave of violence in Gaza and Israel – which includes rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza, and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza – has resulted in several people being killed or wounded on both sides.

Ban said that he is “deeply saddened” by the reported deaths of more than 10 members of the Dalu family, including women and children, and additional Palestinian civilians killed as a result of the ongoing violence in Gaza.

He is also alarmed by the continuing firing of rockets against Israeli towns, which has killed several Israeli civilians.

“This must stop,” he stated, strongly urging the parties to cooperate with all efforts led by Egypt to reach an immediate ceasefire.

“Any further escalation will inevitably increase the suffering of the affected civilian populations and must be avoided.”

Early yesterday morning, the M23 – composed of soldiers who mutinied from the DRC national army (FARDC) in April – launched attacks in Kibumba, Mboga and Ruhondo hills in the province of North Kivu using heavy weapons, according to a news release issued by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO).

In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri of India, which holds the Council’s presidency for this month, the 15-member body expressed deep concern regarding the “rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian crisis” in eastern DRC to due to ongoing military activities of the M23.

“The members of the Security Council strongly condemn the resumption of attacks by the M23 and demand their immediate cessation,” he stated, following a closed-door session in which members were briefed on the latest developments by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous.

In line with its mandate to protect civilians, MONUSCO responded to today’s attacks by deploying its peacekeepers between the towns of Kibumba and Kibati and carried out 10 missions using attack helicopters.

It also secured the Kanyaruchinya site for internally displaced persons (IDPs), located about five kilometers from Kibati. The site, which already hosts more than 80,000 people, has received about 4,000 new arrivals since the outbreak of the fighting.

The Mission added that it is closely following the situation and will not tolerate any action by the M23 that would provoke panic among the civilian population and generate new displacement.

MONUSCO, with 19,000 uniformed personnel, is the latest iteration of UN peacekeeping missions that have helped to bring stability and civilian elections to the vast nation after it was torn apart by civil wars and rebel movements.

The peacekeepers have been aiding the national army in its efforts to deal with the M23 and various other rebel groups in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, which have witnessed increased fighting over recent months.

“They [Council members] expressed their deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims of these heinous acts and to the people of Syria,” added Ambassador Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala, which holds the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of October, in a statement he read out to the media at UN Headquarters in New York.

In the press statement, the Council noted that Jebhat al-Nusra – an Islamist militant group affiliated with the Al-Qaida terrorist group – had claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to media reports, at least two car bombs exploded on Wednesday in Aleppo’s main Saadallah al-Jabiri Square and another bomb exploded a few hundred metres away, killing at least 48 people.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,” Ambassador Rosenthal said in the press statement.

In addition, the Council members reiterated their determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the UN Charter.

They also reminded States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

Fortunately enough, the show did not go forever, as necessary action was taken surprisingly not from the Greek government of the time, but of the British tourism companies such as Thomas Cook , who suddenly saw their businesses going under.

However, history repeats itself, the country that only 8 years ago, housed the glorious and prestigious institute of Olympic Games, with mottos such as the Games are coming home, and is only a scorned pariah by the European Union. This time, no mercy has been shown, as the country’s ill economy has created huge needs of loans to avoid going bankrupt and kicked out of the eurozone.

Oh yes, the Monetary Union, the big bet, the great promise that would bring Greece, out of tit’s place as a second rate player, to the heart of the event and at the centre of administration. This was far from truth, as in only 10 years time since the implementation of the common coin, the country is living in a financial nightmare.

But it’s not the Euro’s fault, as if it was only euro to blame, all the countries that adopted it would have been at the same situation. It is the nation’s politics and governmental policies majorly to blame. Years of mishandling the funding given by the EU for the growth of the economy, outbreak of scandals related to corrupt politicians, laws drawn but never implemented, a generally disorganised and chaotic state are just few of the factors that played a key role to the current situation. Uttermost, though is the culture of “only save thy shelf” that is to blame. Greeks have shown a strong individualism, a complete lack of trust towards their own country, their own compatriots and fellow citizens. Take the example of tax evasion, people do not want to pay taxes, do not feel is their duty to do so, as they cannot see any benefit out of it, the health system is bad, the national education system is bad and so on. How though, the services can be improved if there is no income to be invested?

Such individualistic culture governs society infrastructure, being a very strong threat to its unity. Loosing unity, society loses its effectiveness as a whole, its power to implement and enforce changes, degrading and allowing phenomena of violence and brutality to its weaker parts. It is very easy to blame the other, than thyself for all the wrongdoing. Quite a simplistic explanation of the social chaos that is governing Athens at the moment, one might argue but often truth lies in the common sense. Instead of confronting the real problems of financial austerity and unemployment, and taking measures to address this hurdles many efforts have been focused to blame the others for the current situation.

People are witnessing random violent attacks against other people with only criterion a different skin colour or language or religion. Unfortunately, not only these attacks are tolerated but also encouraged or even applauded. The Greeks seem to forget that they have been taking the road to exile from their homeland, the road to ‘ksenitia’ for hundreds of years in an effort to grow out of poverty and famine or as the modern term is to become today’s modern financial immigrants, educated, multilingual but unable to find work in their own land. They immigrate by thousands to other countries seeking a better future. One might say that Greeks never committed any crime or that they are legal and so on. This cannot be more far that truth with a recent example being the involvement of Greek university students in the student loans fraud that cost Royal Bank of Scotland millions of pounds.

Greeks should question their selves, how would they feel if a Greek had been brutally murder by a right wing organisation in a foreign county? Should they allow the same practise to the foreigners on their own land or they should call for other solutions non violent?

Greek civilisation major asset has always been its ability to urbanise and humanise the population, Greeks had never been discriminating against other humans. Hopefully, the country will again be covered with its veil of dignity, decency and self respect and not uncovered of its great social and cultural achievements. Its glorious past dictates a descent present and good future, all it takes is to remember that effectiveness comes with unity.

Dr. Myrto Zacharof is a chemical engineer who studied and works in England.

“The deterioration of the overall security situation in North Kivu following the M23 mutiny and related ruthless attacks against civilians is extremely alarming,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, Roger Meece, said.

The eastern DRC – particularly its provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu – has been plagued by violence over the past few months. One of the key actors is a group of renegade soldiers known as the 23 March Movement (M23).

The M23 has clashed with national army troops, which have been supported by peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), and has caused massive displacement of local residents, in addition to raising concerns about the region’s stability.

In addition, on the humanitarian front, the fighting in eastern DRC has uprooted nearly half a million people over the past months, including some 220,000 people in North Kivu province, 200,000 in South Kivu province, and more than 51,000 who have fled to neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. The M23’s activities have led to condemnation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council.

According to a joint press release from MONUSCO and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC – known as UNJHRO, and made up of MONUSCO and UNHCR staff – has documented, since May, more than 45 attacks on some 30 villages and towns in the Ufamandu I and II areas, in Masisi territory, in North Kivu province.

UNJHRO has conducted four missions to the remote affected area and carried out dozens of interviews with victims and witnesses.

Some of the attacks have been carried out by the armed group known as Raïa Mutomboki and others by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (known by the French acronym FDLR), at times in coalition with the armed group known as Nyatura.

This has resulted in serious human rights violations, including civilian massacres and the destruction and looting of homes and property, as well as the mass displacement of thousands of civilians.

“Allegations of hundreds of killings are still being verified,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said. “However, the preliminary findings suggest that a significant number of people – most of them women and children – were slaughtered. The sheer viciousness of these murders is beyond comprehension. In some cases, the attacks against civilians may constitute crimes against humanity.”

The attacks on villages by Raïa Mutomboki and FDLR occur in the context of an increase in security vacuums exacerbated by desertions from the Congolese Army (known by the French acronym FARDC) in April, the subsequent creation of the M23, and the redeployment of FARDC units to contain it, MONUSCO and UNHCR said in a joint news release.

They added that many armed groups have also taken advantage of this situation to expand their own area of influence, often carrying out brutal attacks against civilians in the process.

“Proclaiming to protect local populations against the predominantly Hutu FDLR, the Raïa Mutomboki are targeting civilians of Hutu ethnicity whom they consider to be foreigners and allies of the FDLR,” MONUSCO and UNHCR noted. “In turn, the FDLR retaliate against civilian populations they believe to be associated with the Raïa Mutomboki.”

Eastern DRC is home to various ethnic groups, including Hutus. In addition, some 100,000 Rwandans, mainly Hutus, fled to the area in 1994 in the wake of the genocide there, with some of them joining the FDLR.

Pillay has called on all armed groups to immediately cease attacks against civilians and noted the possible consequences for those responsible for such attacks, referring to the recent court case of a former rebel leader, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. In July, the International Criminal Court (ICC) sentenced the former Congolese warlord to 14 years of imprisonment for his involvement in child soldier recruitment in the early 2000s.

Meece, in turn, has noted with “grave concern” that the M23 mutiny had required MONUSCO and FARDC to divert resources away from some areas. He has also underscored MONUSCO’s recent civilian protection activity in localities most affected by Raïa Mutomboki and FDLR, and reiterated the priority which the peacekeeping mission accords to civilian protection.

“I strongly condemn the heinous attacks and the senseless violence and bloodshed across the country,” the Secretary-Geneneral’s Deputy Special Representative, Gyorgy Busztin, in a news release from the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

“The scale and brutality of the attacks are appalling – especially now, when Iraqis are not only celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, with its messages of peace and reconciliation, but are also welcoming thousands of returnees who have fled the ongoing violence in Syria,” he added.

According to media reports, a coordinated string of bombings and shooting in 13 cities, including Baghdad, the capital, killed at least 91 people and injured nearly 200 more, targeting security forces and Government officials.

“The criminals who perpetrated these attacks must be held to account,” Mr. Busztin said. He also extended his condolences to the families of those who were killed and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

“Attacks against journalists are attacks against democracy,” stressed the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, in a joint news release.

Presenting their respective reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the experts urged governments, the international community, as well as journalists and media organizations, to act decisively to protect the lives of journalists and media freedom. La Rue cited in particular “the continuing repression of journalists and media freedom worldwide, aimed at suppressing information deemed ‘inconvenient,’ and increasing restrictions placed on journalists who disseminate information through the Internet.”

“States continue to utilize criminal laws on defamation, national security and counterterrorism to suppress dissent and criticism, including on Government policies, human rights violations and allegations of corruption,” he noted, adding that, “such ‘judicial harassment’ generates a climate of fear and encourages self-censorship.” Mr. Heyns underscored that impunity is “a major, if not the main, cause” of the high number of journalists killed every year.

“The countries where the highest numbers of journalists are killed are also, almost without exception, those with the highest levels of impunity,” he said.

“It is hard to imagine a world without journalists. Without their work, humanity would be reduced to silence, and yet a large number are killed every year with almost total impunity,” he added, noting that journalists are among the persons who receive the most death threats.

The two experts put forward specific recommendations in their reports dealing with material, legal, and policing measures of protection, ranging from public condemnation of attacks against journalists, support for press freedom by senior government officials and greater accountability to fight impunity.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.