Syria's UN ambassador says country 'slandered'

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, has strongly condemned the Syrian authorities, saying he has heard "grizzly reports" that government forces were arbitrarily executing, imprisoning and torturing people.

But the Syrian ambassador to the UN, Bashar Ja'afari, said the United Nations had slandered his country.

He said Mr Ban's report included "extremely virulent rhetoric" and claimed "the secretary-general is not duly informed."