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2. UNSC to vote on Syria resolution
The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution calling on Syria's Assad administration to immediately stop the use of force against civilians.
The council has been split. The United States and European countries are calling on President Bashar al-Assad and his government to step down. In contrast, Russia has strong military ties with Syria.
The final draft of the resolution, which was shown to member states, condemns the Syrian government's use of force against civilians and human rights violations, and calls for their immediate cessation.
However, Assad's transfer of power, which was proposed first by the Arab League and supported by the United States, had been deleted from the resolution.
Other parts of the resolution call for a political transition led by the Syrian people through dialogue between the government and all anti-government forces, as Russia asserted.
The council is expected to vote on the resolution at a meeting to be held on Saturday, but it is not yet clear if Russia will support or veto it.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at an international meeting in Germany for a last-minute appeal.
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