UN chief condemns violence in Syria
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has sharply criticized the Syrian government for its continued attacks on civilians and urged it to stop violence immediately.Syrian government forces continue shelling of populated areas despite President Bashar al-Assad's pledge to cease the use of heavy weapons and withdraw troops by April 10th. The Assad government made the commitments in a meeting with UN-Arab League envoy and former secretary general Kofi Annan.Ban said in a statement on Friday that the April 10th timeline to fulfill the Syrian government's implementation of its troop withdrawal and ceasefire commitments is not an excuse for continued killing.The UN chief pointed to the humanitarian crisis facing as many as one million people in Syria.