Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Political Drift in New York, Military Confrontation in Aleppo

The historic Old Market of Aleppo in Syria on fire amid fighting between regime forces and insurgents

See also Syria Opinion: Heady Days of Revolution Give Way to Grim Reality
Bahrain Feature: 17-Year-Old Ali Hussain Neama is Killed by Police Birdshot
Friday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Start of a "Decisive Battle" for Aleppo?

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1540 GMT: Bahrain. King Hamad has welcomed the election of a Bahraini representative to the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council as confirmation of "the international community’s confidence in Bahrain’s progress in the human rights’ field".

Said Al-Faihani, who was unopposed, was unanimously approved as the Asian group representative on Friday.

Meanwhile, we are updating on the death of 17-year-old Ali Hussein Neama, who became the latest victim of police birdshot on Friday night.

1410 GMT: Egypt. The Obama Administration has notified Congress that it will grant Cairo an emergency cash infusion of $450 million, but the aid is being opposed by prominent Representative Kay Granger.

The aid is part of $1 billion in assistance that the Administration pledged after last year's overthrow of the Mubarak regime, but Granger, who represents Texas, announced that she would use her position as chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing foreign aid to block distribution.

1040 GMT: Syria. Claimed footage of tanks and troops in the Damascus suburb of Barzeh --- regime forces reportedly moved into the area on Friday with shelling and raids of houses:

1030 GMT: Yemen. Gunmen have killed four members of the political party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in an ambush outside the capital Sanaa.

The officials of the General People's Congress were travelling on the road to Maareb Province when they were attacked. Eight people were wounded.

1010 GMT: Syria. A photo of Aleppo's devastated covered market, a feature from medieval times:

0720 GMT: Yemen. President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi has given full support to US drone strikes in his country.

Speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, Hadi said, “[The drones] pinpoint the target and have zero margin of error, if you know what target you’re aiming at/"

Hadi asserted that the US “helped with their drones because the Yemeni Air Force cannot carry out missions at night. The electronic brain’s precision is unmatched by the human brain.”

On Tuesday, President Obama gave a clear signal of thanks to Hadi by dropping by as the Yemeni President met in New York with John O. Brennan, the White House's counter-terrorism advisor. Hadi was the only foreign leader that Obama singled out for a meeting while the US President was at the United Nations General Assembly.

0520 GMT: Syria. Friday offered powerful testimony to our analysis that there will be no political resolution of the crisis and that this will only come if and when one side has a decisive military advantage.

In New York, the "Friends of Syria" collection of nations met after a break of several months, but the outcome was marginal. The US pledged an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance and $15 million in "non-lethal" aid, such as radios and training. France said it was increasing contacts with the insurgents. 

However, there was no sign of movement on the key issue of a zone of protection within Syria for civilians, and the rhetoric, put out by the head of the Arab League, Nabil El Araby, was the general declaration, "We need to start a transitional period. A transitional period means a change to another regime."

Russia countered that with finger-waving by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that other countries had not supported the "Geneva accord" for a negotiated settlement:

This proposal has been blocked. Those who oppose the implementation of the Geneva communique take upon themselves an enormous responsibility. They insist on a ceasefire only by the government and encourage the opposition to intensify hostilities. But in doing so, they essentially push Syria even deeper into the abyss of bloody internecine strife.

So where was the significant news on Friday? Look to Syria's largest city Aleppo, where insurgent began a renewed offensive with attacks in several areas --- new fronts such as Sulimaniyeh, July's original battleground of Saleh Ed Dine, and symbolic points such as the Omayyad Mosque in the centre of the Old City.

There was also serious clashses in areas such as Deir Ez Zor in the northeast.

The number of casualties among insurgents and regime units is unknown, but the Local Coordination Committees reported 167 people slain by security forces on Friday, including 57 in Aleppo Province and 48 in Damascus and its suburbs .