The head of the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) told reporters today that his committee is upping the ante when it comes to prosecuting UN peacekeeping forces who are found guilty of sexual abuse and exploitation.

Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland announced on Monday that the United States has suspended operations in the Embassy in Damascus, and that the U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, along with all other American personnel, have left the country. According to CNN, 17 embassy officials, including Ambassador Ford, left the…

U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland fielded questions Jan. 20, over the embattled nation of Syria. In recent weeks, at least 16 people were killed by security forces in Damascus. More than 5,400 people who have died since mid-March, when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began the crackdown on anti-government protesters,…