Syrians No Longer Trust Neighbours As 'Religious Mosaic' Breaks Up

BBC: Syria's government troops are stepping up their offensive against rebel forces in Damascus, according to the BBC's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen.

It comes as a Syrian minister hails a US-Russia deal on Syria's chemical weapons as a "victory" that averts war.

The agreement states Syria must provide full details of its stockpile within a week - with the chemical arsenal eliminated by mid-2014.

Jeremy Bowen has been to meet Christians who fled their homes in Maaloula, some of whom say they were attacked by rebels "with local accents".

He says many Syrians no longer trust their old neighbours and that "the religious mosaic of different sects is breaking up". Watch BBC video » | Sunday, September 15, 2013

Muslims Fleeing Sectarian Violence in Burma Drown as Crisis Deepens
THE OBSERVER: Many Rohingya people are attempting dangerous voyages to Bangladesh and Thailand, but most are sent back on arrival

First one body appeared, floating in the waters of the Bay of Bengal, then another, and another, until those on board the little fishing boat that had gone to their rescue began to lose count.

Those bobbing lifeless among the waves had set out the night before, so desperate to escape the growing sectarian violence in Burma that they were prepared to risk boarding the dangerously overcrowded boat.

At least 130 had clambered aboard, but the boat foundered – whether it capsized because of the weight of bodies or because it struck rocks remains unclear.

The sinking last week was the worst reported incident resulting from the outbreak of violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in western Burma. The death toll is continuing to rise amid reports of a deepening humanitarian crisis.

"The situation is dire. The UN is doing its best, but it is trying to find more funding to help them," said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, an NGO working with the Rohingya. » | Gethin Chamberlain | Sunday, November 04, 2012