United Nations Security Council to vote on improved Syria aid access

The United Nations Security Council is set to adopt a resolution Monday authorizing humanitarian convoys to serve millions of Syrian civilians by traveling from neighboring Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, according to Agence France-Presse.
After weeks of negotiations, Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg drafted the text for a vote.

Damascus' ally Russia, which has already used its veto on four Syria-related resolutions since the conflict began in March 2011, has no plans to do so this time.

Ukraine crisis: Putin ordered troops to return to base in a news conference

Russian leader Vladamir Putin has ordered the Russian troops that took part in military exercises this week to return to base, Russian news agencies quoted the Kremlin spokesman as saying, according to Reuters news agency

The Russian military exercises, which Moscow denied were linked to events in Ukraine, had been a success, Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. The exercises took place across western Russia, an area which borders Ukraine.