The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

William Hague urged the "discredited" Syrian regime to end its violent as the United Nations Security Council adopted. A statement condemning attacks on civilians and widespread human rights abuses.

Intensification of the three-month-old bloody crackdown against anti-government protests, the international body agreed the wording – with only Syria's neighbour Lebanon dissociating itself from the text.

Hague said: "I welcome the UN security council presidential statement on Syria.

"The Security Council demonstrates the rising international concern at the unacceptable behaviour of the regime and shows that President Assad is increasingly isolated. It comes on top of a fourth round of EU sanctions put in place earlier this week.

The UN Security Council finally broke through a near-unanimous statement condemning President Bashar al-Assad for unleashing his forces on civilians and violating human rights.

Though the presidential statement has no teeth and was less than the full Security Council resolution that by the US, UK and France, it is an indication of growing impatience within the international community towards the Syrian crackdown.

Hague said: “The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change. I call on President Assad's regime to end its violence and to allow genuine political reform.

"Until it does, the regime will be discredited amongst its own people and facing increased pressure internationally."

Rapidly – increasing pressure on the 15 members of the Security Council to issue a condemnation of the regime's actions. Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa had been resisting the move.

Lebanon's deputy UN ambassador Caroline Ziade said that "while we express our deep regret for the loss of innocent victims," the presidential statement "does not help in addressing the current situation in Syria."

Suicide blast at Afghan police HQ

Suicide blast at Afghan police HQ

A suicide car bomber struck outside police headquarters in the southern Afghan city of Lashkar Gah, officials said that’s Twelve policemen and a child were killed.

The attack came days after control of security in the city, the capital of Helmand province, passed from British to Afghan forces as part of a process that will see all foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Experts question the ability of Afghan soldiers and police to protect their country against attacks from the Taliban, who claimed responsibility for the latest blast, and other insurgents.

The interior ministry confirmed the death toll and vowed the attack would not prevent the police from battling the Taliban, leaders of a 10-year insurgency raging across the country.

In a statement on their website, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Helmand, one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan and a key focus of the war for international troops.

The Taliban also claimed responsibility for that attack in a statement. Anti-government forces frequently target convoys supplying the foreign and Afghan militarizes.