Ban Ki-Moon to press ahead with probe of Hariri assassination
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the UN Tribunal will press ahead with the probe against the assassination of former Lebanon prime minister Rafiq al Hariri in 2005 REUTERS

The United Nations and European Union are working to push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt violence against demonstrators.

On a diplomatic visit to Brazil, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he spoke with the Syrian leader and asked that he stop killing people and engage in an international dialogue regarding how to move forward.

This represents a high-point in the mounting international pressure on the Assad regime to halt violence against government opposition.

The European Union has moved to blacklist Assad and his allies and is working to tighten sanctions on the Levantine nation.

While the majority of the European Union and the United States have jointly condemned Assad's offensive against his administration's opposition, China and Russia oppose foreign interference in the nation's affairs.

Both nations have permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

According to international human rights organizations, roughly 1,300 Syrians have been killed in the past three months of popular protests.

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