Syria: Chemical arms inspectors' job half finished

The organization which oversees the destruction of the Syrian chemical arsenal announced Thursday that is has checked nearly half of the sites to be destroyed by mid-2014.

At the same time, Ellahi Malik, a political adviser to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said that car bombs and mortars have exploded close to the hotel where the inspectors are staying in Damascus in recent days. However, he said, this does not impede their work. (News agencies)