Pope Francis calls for negotiations, civilian protection in Syria
Vatican City, Sep 2 : Pope Francis on Sunday called on the international community to ensure the safety of civilians in Syria's Idlib province, one of the last opposition-held territories in the conflict-ridden nation.
"The winds of war are still blowing and we are receiving disturbing news of a possible humanitarian catastrophe in Syria, in the province of Idlib," Efe news quoted the pontiff who was addressing a crowd at the Vatican during the Angelus prayer.
"I renew my appeal to the international community and to all the actors involved to use diplomacy, dialogue and negotiations in accordance with international humanitarian law to protect the lives of civilians," he added.
The UN has also requested international parties involved in the Syrian civil war to do everything to prevent open warfare in Idlib, which is home to around three million people.
In recent years, the government of Bashar al-Assad has used Idlib province as a repository for rebel fighters and families evacuated from other regions of the country.
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Student killed, several injured as school picnic bus overturns
Nagpur (PTI): A student was killed and several students and teachers were injured as the bus carrying them to a picnic spot overturned near here on Tuesday morning, police said.
The accident took place when students and teachers of Saraswati High School in Shankar Nagar area here were heading for a picnic spot in neighbouring Wardha district in five buses.
One of the buses, with some 50 persons on board, overturned near Deoli Pendhari village on Hingani Road in a hilly section on the outskirts of the city, said an official of Hingna police station.
The deceased boy was a Class 7 student, he said, without disclosing the name. A girl and a teacher sustained severe injuries and were rushed to the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, while others were taken to a nearby rural hospital.
Investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident, police said.
