From Washington, this is VOA news…
I'm Dave DeForest reporting
The United Nations makes a grim accusation:
U-N investigators say the Syrian government has carried out a huge "extermination" of civilian detainees. The investigation was based on interviews with more than 600 survivors and witnesses in Syria. Here is commission chairman Paulo Pinheiro:
"The Commission concludes that these violations amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes."
It found that the government holds tens of thousands of detainees at any given time and that thousands of people have "disappeared" after being arrested or abducted.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Turkish leaders -- including Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu -- in Ankara Monday on the growing refugee crisis. Dorian Jones reports.
Following their Monday meeting, Davutoglu said he and Merkel had agreed on several measures. The prime minister said German and Turkish agencies will start working together against people smugglers, adding that working with Germany, Turkey will increase joint police and security force efforts to stop illegal migration. Merkel also announced that NATO could help the EU border security force Frontex. Dorian Jones, Istanbul."
The United Nations says at least 40,000 people in South Sudan are on the brink of starvation. It urged warring parties to let aid deliveries into the country.
The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said Monday that an additional 2.8 million people, nearly 25 percent of the country's population, are in need of food aid.
The figures are part of a U.N. report on South Sudan, where more than two years of civil war have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
This is VOA news.
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Words in This Newscast
abduct –v. to take away by force
smugglers –n. people who move things or people from country to country illegally or secretly