Syria ceasefire task force to meet, France wants answers on violations
Reuters has more on the reports that the Syria ceasefire task force is to meet at 1400 GMT today in Geneva.
The meeting was set after France insisted on information on reports of attacks in breach of the ceasefire.
"We have received indications that attacks, including by air, have been continuing against zones controlled by the moderate opposition," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
"All this needs to be verified. France has therefore demanded that the task force charged with overseeing the cessation of hostilities meet without delay."
France calls for meeting over breaches of Syria truce (Reuters)
France has called for an immediate meeting of the Syria task force to discuss breaches of the cessation of hostilities that came into force on Feb. 26, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has said.
Thousands may have starved to death in besieged Syrian areas: UN
AFP has more details on the comments by the UN's human rights chief this morning that thousands of people may have died of starvation in sieges in Syria.
"The deliberate starvation of people is unequivocally forbidden as a weapon of warfare. By extension, so are sieges, which deprive civilians of essential goods such as food," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.
In an address opening the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session, Zeid pointed to the desperate situation of the estimated 480,000 people "currently trapped in besieged towns and villages in Syria -- and have been, in some cases for years."
No one expects Syria truce to be easy: Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters this morning that the truce in Syria is ongoing and that it would not be easy.
"The Russian and U.S. presidents from the outset stressed that the path to a sustainable ceasefire will not be easy, it cannot be easy by definition, due to the complexity of the situation in Syria," Peskov said.
"At the same time it is important that an agreement has been reached, major steps are now being made in accordance with the agreements. The process is ongoing, it was clear beforehand that it would not be easy. However, we know the message from our military -- the ceasefire has come into effect," Peskov said.
Accusations of Syria truce violations should be approached with caution: Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that accusations that the Syria ceasefire had been violated should be treated with caution.
"There have been calls from Moscow to be very careful in accusing someone of breaking the truce, to do this really ultra-cautiously, ultra-carefully. The situation is not yet stable. Here we can only renew such calls," Peskov said.
UN: thousands may have starved to death in Syria
This very upsetting news just in from AFP. The UN says that thousands of Syrians may have starved to death in besieged areas of the country.
More aid to reach Syria's besieged communities
As a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in Syria, the United Nations says it is ready to begin delivering aid to more people living in besieged areas of Syria.
The first deliveries are planned for today, the BBC reports.
Aid deliveries are expected -- or hoped -- to reach some 150,000 Syrians in besieged areas over the next five days. The UN wants to reach some 1.7 million Syrians by the end of March.
Our Tajik service reports this about Gulmurod Halimov, the Tajik police colonel who defected to the IS group last year:
Second Wife Of Fugitive Tajik Colonel 'Left For Syria'
Tajik media are reporting that a woman known to be the second wife of a fugitive Tajik colonel, Gulmurod Halimov, has left for Syria along with the couple's four young children.
The relatives of Humairo Mirova confirmed on February 28 that she left Tajikistan earlier this month but insisted that they were unaware of her whereabouts.
According to the family, Mirova told them she was going on vacation and asked them not to try to contact her until she calls them herself.
There were no official comments on Mirova's case. However, her brother, Shohnazar Mirov, said he was kept in police custody for a week after Mirova's departure.
Mirov said authorities questioned him on his sister's whereabouts.
Mirova, 40, worked as a spokesperson for the State Customs Service, but her employer said she has been on a maternity leave since the summer of 2015.
Tajik media reported that Mirova became Halimov's second wife 10 years ago.
Halimov, the former commander of the Interior Ministry's special forces, known as OMON, disappeared in April 2015.
Halimov later appeared on a video to confirm that he had defected to the Islamic State militant group in Syria.
Tajik authorities say they were continuing efforts to capture Halimov. They also say he has been seriously injured twice since leaving the country.