Syria: UN holds a emergency security meeting on chemical weapons allegations

UN officials have held an emergency UN Security Council meeting following alleged chemical weapons attacks which Syria's opposition to President Assad says has killed hundreds of people near Damascus. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said, following the meeting, that the alleged events were a "serious escalation", and the Security Council added that full clarity was needed over the attacks. 35 member states of the UN called for United Nations weapons inspectors, who are already in Syria, to be dispatched to the scene immediately. Opposition activists say that more than 1,000 people were killed after government forces launched rockets with toxic agents early on Wednesday. President Assad's government deny the claims, describing them as "illogical and fabricated".