BBC News with David Austin

The United Nations has said it'll join a government-led

humanitarian

mission in Syria this weekend. The UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said technical staff would accompany the Syrian authorities to observe conditions. She said the visit would include cities which had seen thousands of casualties in anti-government protests. Here's Barbara Plett.

Valerie Amos said UN technical staff would accompany a government-led mission to aid population centres. These include the city of Homs, parts of which were devastated by a month-long government

siege

, and Deraa, where the uprising against the Syrian regime began a year ago. Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation will also participate. Ms Amos said the UN officials would observe condition first-hand and gather information on the overall humanitarian situation, but she stressed the urgency of

unhindered

access to provide emergency care and basic supplies.

The United States says it remains committed to reconciliation in Afghanistan even though the Taliban has said it's suspending peace talks, which have barely begun. The White House said no end to the conflict in Afghanistan was likely without a political resolution. The Taliban had been talking to the Americans about possibly setting up a political office in Qatar and exchanging a kidnapped American soldier for five Taliban fighters. American sources said the Taliban